Empetrum

Crowberry ( Empetrum nigrum)

The crowberry ( Empetrum ) is a plant genus that today the family of the heather family ( Ericaceae ) are expected, in the past, but as an independent family crowberry plants ( Empetraceae ) were considered. There are two to a few species. The botanical genus name Empetrum is derived from the Latin herba empetros and the ancient Greek émpetron so that plants were called in ancient times, which have been used medically for bladder stones.

Description

The crowberry species are evergreen dwarf shrubs that reach heights of growth from 15 to 60 cm. The needle-like leaves are arranged opposite or whorls.

They are monoecious ( monoecious ) or dioecious ( dioecious ) getrenntgeschlechtig. The inflorescences contain only one to three flowers. They are wind pollinated. There are only three to six free bloom yet. The unisexual flowers are small. The male flowers contain three to six stamens. In the female flowers above a constant ovary is present, and the stamp has a six- to nine - or zwölflappige scar. Your seeded stone fruits are dark blue to black or red.

Distribution and habitat

The home is the northern temperate regions and in South America, the Andes, and the southern Atlantic Islands: Falkland Islands, Tristan da Cunha.

Crowberries often appear dominant in plant canopies on and then form named after this kind " crowberry heath ". The crowberry or those Gentiles are to be found in regions where no forest growth is possible due to the cold climate. Large deposits are found which on the one hand across the northern tundra of Eurasia and North America, on the other hand, in the height level of the dwarf shrub heath at and above the natural tree line in the mountains of the northern hemisphere. Small areas are crowberry but also in bogs and on coastal dunes before, ie on forest enemy special locations even under otherwise eligible forest climate conditions. The deposits on the northern hemisphere, where the crowberry ( Empetrum nigrum) and with this closely related species grow, is facing another smaller in southern South America, where occur in Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego very similar climatic conditions. Here Empetrum rubrum comes before with red fruits. Crowberries prefer acidic soils.

Use

Despite Andromedotoxin they are not regarded as poisonous plants, as no cases of poisoning are known.

In Scandinavia, Greenland and the fruits are eaten as a compote. Double contain as much Vitamin C as blueberries and are also used as a supplement to blueberry juice in the production as a colorant.

In Chile, the fruits are used.

Types (selection)

There are two to a few crowberries species ( Empetrum ):

• Empetrum asiaticum Nakai ex H. Itô
• Empetrum eamesii Fernald & Wiegand
• Hermaphrodite crowberry ( Empetrum hermaphroditum Hagerup )
• Crowberry ( Empetrum nigrum L. ) with several subspecies and varieties, including: Empetrum nigrum var japonicum K.Koch

Swell

• Entry in the Flora of China. (English )