BILBERRY


Meaning of BILBERRY in English

also called Whortleberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), low-growing deciduous shrub belonging to the family Ericaceae. It is found in woods and on heaths, chiefly in hilly districts of Great Britain, northern Europe, and Asia. The stiff stems, from 15 to 60 cm (6 to 24 inches) high, bear small egg-shaped leaves with serrated margins and small, globose, rosy flowers tinged with green. The dark blue berries, ripening in July and August, have a waxy bloom and are about 1 cm in diameter. They are a principal food of the grouse and are used for tarts and preserves. The berries are borne singly, in contrast to those of the much more productive, cultivated blueberries of the United States (V. australe), which are borne in racemes (long clusters). V. myrtillus is partly self-sterile, but has been hybridized with the foxberry, V. vitis-idaeus.

Britannica English vocabulary.      Английский словарь Британика.