Biology:Empetrum nigrum

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Short description: Species of plant in the heather family
For other shrubs sometimes called "crowberry", see Biology:Bearberry.
Black crowberry
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Empetrum
Species:
E. nigrum
Binomial name
Empetrum nigrum
Synonyms[2]
  • Chamaetaxus nigra (L.) Bubani
  • Empetrum arcticum V.N.Vassil.
  • Empetrum crassifolium Raf.
  • Empetrum eamesii subsp. hermaphroditum (Hagerup) D.Löve
  • Empetrum hermaphroditum Hagerup
  • Empetrum hermaphroditum var. americanum V.N.Vassil.
  • Empetrum medium Carmich.
  • Empetrum nigrum f. cylindricum Lepage
  • Empetrum nigrum var. hermaphroditum (Hagerup) T.Sørensen
  • Empetrum nigrum subsp. hermaphroditum (Hagerup) Böcher
  • Empetrum nigrum f. purpureum (Raf.) Fernald
  • Empetrum nigrum var. purpureum (Raf.) A.DC.
  • Empetrum purpureum Raf.

Empetrum nigrum, the crowberry,Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; refs with no name must have content black crowberry, mossberry, rockberry, or, in western Alaska, Labrador, etc., blackberry, is a flowering plant species in the heather family Ericaceae with a near circumboreal distribution in the Northern Hemisphere. The scientific name of the plant comes from the combination of the Greek for 'upon a rock' (en = upon + petros = rock) and the Latin for black (niger).[3] North American Indigenous names for this species include asiavik (Iñupiaq),[4] dineechʼúh (Gwichʼin),[5] paurngaq (Inuktut),[6] xéelʼi (Tlingít),[7] xa skáawaa (Haida),[8] and ts'nełt'ida (Dena’ina).[9]

Description

Empetrum nigrum is a low growing, evergreen shrub with a creeping habit.[10] The leaves are 3–6 millimetres (1⁄8–1⁄4 inch) long, arranged alternately along the stem. The stems are red when young and then fade to brown; they grow slowly, around 7 – 15 cm (3 – 6 inches) per year[11][12]. This plant can form thick, clonal mats than prevent other plants from overgrowing it.[11]

Empetrum nigrum is usually dioecious, though a few individuals are bisexual and have perfect flowers[13]. Because this species is highly clonal, an entire patch may be of a single sex. Empetrum nigrum flower buds start to develop the summer before they open[12], blooming the following year between May and June.[14] The flowers are small (3 – 6 mm), have little or no scent and are not very noticeable,[10] Flowers consist of 3 greenish-pink sepals that turn reddish purple[15], 3 petals, 3 stamens (males) or a pistil with an ovary that contains 6 – 9 ovules (females).[16]

The round fruits are berries, 4–6 mm (1⁄8–1⁄4 in) wide, usually black or purplish-black but occasionally red[17] and contain an average of 7.8 seeds per fruit. The fruits are well-protected against pathogens[18] and as a result can persist throughout the winter.[19] Fruits average 86.5% water, and their dry weight includes 14.4% carbohydrates and 12.2% lipids, which is possibly the highest lipid content of any fleshy fruit in Europe.[20]

Subspecies

Distribution and habitat

The species has a near circumboreal distribution in the Northern Hemisphere.[23]

Empetrum nigrum grows in bogs[24] and other acidic soils in shady, moist areas; it also grows in subalpine and alpine habitats in the Pacific Northwest. It can grow in soils with a pH as low as 2.5, but it does not grow in basic soils (pH > 8).[25]

Ecology

Empetrum nigrum flowers are likely pollinated by a combination of generalist insects (e.g., flies, beetles) and wind.[3][11] Animals that regularly consume this species and act as seed dispersers include rodents,[26] foxes, bears,[27] caribou[28] and many bird species.[29] Because it retains its fruit throughout the winter and into the spring, it is an important food for species such as red-backed voles at a time of year when few other foods are available.[19]

The moth species Glacies coracina, Zygaena exulans, and Hadula melanopa feed on the plant.[14]

The metabolism and photosynthetic parameters of Empetrum can be altered in winter-warming experiments.[30]

Empetrum nigrum has allelopathic properties (e.g. hampering seed germination and root extension of other plants) but the strength of these are dependent on the soil type.[31]

Empetrum nigrum roots host ericoid mycorrhizal species (ascomycetes and basidiomycetes), which increase access to nitrogen and phosphorus.[32]

Uses

The fruit is edible and can be dried,[33] and may have an acidic taste. In the Alaskan tundra, it is known to have a sweet and slightly tart flavor. It is often mixed with other berries in dishes like pies and puddings.[24]

It is abundant in Scandinavia and treasured for its ability to make liqueur, wine, juice, or jelly. In subarctic areas, the plant has been a vital addition to the diet of the Inuit and the Sami. It is used to make Alaskan ice cream.[24] The Dena'ina (Tanaina) harvest it for food, sometimes storing in quantity for winter, sometimes mixed with lard or oil.[citation needed] In the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the berries (known locally as “blackberries”) are used in jams, jellies, and baked goods, such as buns, or puddings.[34] In Labrador and northern regions of Newfoundland, entire plants are harvested and the sods used to impart flavour to smoked fish.[35]

The species can also be grown as a ground cover,[36] or as an ornamental plant in rock gardens, notably the yellow-foliaged cultivar 'Lucia'. The fruit is high in anthocyanin pigment and can be used to make a natural dye.[36]

In culture

The Scottish Highlands Clan Maclean's badge is believed to be E. nigrum.[37]

  • The yellow-leaved cultivar Empetrum nigrum 'Lucia'
    The yellow-leaved cultivar Empetrum nigrum 'Lucia'
  • Vaccinium vitis-idaea and Empetrum nigrum in Denali
    Vaccinium vitis-idaea and Empetrum nigrum in Denali
  • Alaskan crowberry
    Alaskan crowberry

References

  1. ↑ Sp. Pl. 2: 1022. 1753 [1 May 1753] "Plant Name Details for Empetrum nigrum". IPNI. http://www.ipni.org:80/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do;jsessionid=F2CFBFD7E35FC281DC585FFC6C2465B8?id=324780-1. 
  2. ↑ "Empetrum nigrum L.". Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30371508-2. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lorion, Janick; Small, Ernest (2021-09-01). "Crowberry (Empetrum): A Chief Arctic Traditional Indigenous Fruit in Need of Economic and Ecological Management" (in en). The Botanical Review 87 (3): 259–310. doi:10.1007/s12229-021-09248-0. ISSN 1874-9372. Bibcode: 2021BotRv..87..259L. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12229-021-09248-0. 
  4. ↑ "Iñupiaq Online" (in en). https://inupiaqonline.com/. 
  5. ↑ Gwich’in Social and Cultural Institute. Gwich’in Topical Dictionary: Gwichyah Gwich’in & Teetl’it Gwich’in Dialects. (2009).
  6. ↑ "English Content Search | Inuit Uqausinginnik Taiguusiliuqtiit". https://www.taiguusiliuqtiit.ca/en/node/8873. 
  7. ↑ Edwards, Keri (2009). Dictionary of Tlingit. Juneau, Alaska, U.S.A.: Sealaska Heritage Institute. ISBN 978-0-9825786-6-7. 
  8. ↑ Lachler, Jordan (2010). Dictionary of Alaska Haida. Juneau, Alaska, U.S.A.: Sealaska Heritage Institute. ISBN 978-0-9825786-5-0. 
  9. ↑ Kari, James (1974). Kenai Tanaina Noun Dictionary. Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Barbara Coffin; Lee Pfannmuller (1988). Minnesota's Endangered Flora and Fauna. U of Minnesota Press. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-8166-1689-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=wfWNq91AjeoC. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Tybirk, Knud; Nilsson, Marie-Charlotte; Michelsen, Anders; Kristensen, Hanne Lakkenborg; Shevtsova, Anna; Tune Strandberg, Morten; Johansson, Marianne; Nielsen, Knud Erik et al. (March 2000). "Nordic Empetrum Dominated Ecosystems: Function and Susceptibility to Environmental Changes" (in en). Ambio: A Journal of the Human Environment 29 (2): 90–97. doi:10.1579/0044-7447-29.2.90. ISSN 0044-7447. Bibcode: 2000Ambio..29...90T. http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1579/0044-7447-29.2.90. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Bell, J. N. B.; Tallis, J. H. (1973). "Empetrum Nigrum L.". Journal of Ecology 61 (1): 289–305. doi:10.2307/2258934. ISSN 0022-0477. Bibcode: 1973JEcol..61..289B. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2258934. 
  13. ↑ Wang, Lin-Lin; Zhang, Zhi-Qiang; Yang, Yong-Ping; Duan, Yuan-Wen (2019-10-01). "The coexistence of hermaphroditic and dioecious plants is associated with polyploidy and gender dimorphism in Dasiphora fruticosa". Plant Diversity 41 (5): 323–329. doi:10.1016/j.pld.2019.06.002. ISSN 2468-2659. PMID 31934677. Bibcode: 2019PlDiv..41..323W. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Reader's Digest Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of Britain. Reader's Digest. 1981. p. 220. ISBN 978-0-276-00217-5. 
  15. ↑ "Empetrum nigrum in Flora of North America". http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200012671. 
  16. ↑ Viereck, Leslie A.; Little, Elbert L. (2007). Alaska trees and shrubs (2nd ed.). Fairbanks, AK: Snowy Owl Books. ISBN 978-1-889963-86-0. 
  17. ↑ "Jepson eFlora: Empetrum nigrum". University and Jepson Herbaria. University of California, Berkeley. http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=24229. 
  18. ↑ Jurikova, Tunde; Mlcek, Jiri; Skrovankova, Sona; Balla, Stefan; Sochor, Jiri; Baron, Mojmir; Sumczynski, Daniela (2016-12-07). "Black Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum L.) Flavonoids and Their Health Promoting Activity" (in en). Molecules 21 (12): 1685. doi:10.3390/molecules21121685. ISSN 1420-3049. PMID 27941619. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Mulder, Christa P. H.; Spellman, Katie V.; Shaw, Jasmine (2021-12-23). "Berries in Winter: A Natural History of Fruit Retention in Four Species Across Alaska". Madroño 68 (4). doi:10.3120/0024-9637-68.4.487. ISSN 0024-9637. https://bioone.org/journals/madro%C3%B1o/volume-68/issue-4/0024-9637-68.4.487/BERRIES-IN-WINTER--A-NATURAL-HISTORY-OF-FRUIT-RETENTION/10.3120/0024-9637-68.4.487.full. 
  20. ↑ Ehrlén & Eriksson 1991.
  21. ↑ English Names for Korean Native Plants. Pocheon: Korea National Arboretum. 2015. pp. 456. ISBN 978-89-97450-98-5. http://www.forest.go.kr/kna/special/download/English_Names_for_Korean_Native_Plants.pdf. Retrieved 24 December 2016. 
  22. ↑ "Empetrum subholarcticum V.N.Vassil.". http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000667274. 
  23. ↑ "Empetrum nigrum L." (in en). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30371508-2. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 Francis-Baker, Tiffany (2021). Concise Foraging Guide. The Wildlife Trusts. London: Bloomsbury. pp. 31. ISBN 978-1-4729-8474-6. 
  25. ↑ Good, R. D'O. (June 1927). "The Genus Empetrum L." (in en). Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Botany 47 (317): 489–523. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.1927.tb00520.x. https://academic.oup.com/botlinnean/article-lookup/doi/10.1111/j.1095-8339.1927.tb00520.x. 
  26. ↑ Krebs, Charles J.; Cowcill, Kevan; Boonstra, Rudy; Kenney, Alice J. (2010-04-16). "Do changes in berry crops drive population fluctuations in small rodents in the southwestern Yukon?" (in en). Journal of Mammalogy 91 (2): 500–509. doi:10.1644/09-MAMM-A-005.1. ISSN 0022-2372. Bibcode: 2010JMamm..91..500K. https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article-lookup/doi/10.1644/09-MAMM-A-005.1. 
  27. ↑ McHutchon, A.G.; Wellwood, D.W. (2003). "Grizzly bear food habits in the northern Yukon, Canada.". Ursus 14: 225–235. 
  28. ↑ Denryter, Kristin A.; Cook, Rachel C.; Cook, John G.; Parker, Katherine L. (February 2017). "Straight from the caribou's (Rangifer tarandus) mouth: detailed observations of tame caribou reveal new insights into summer–autumn diets". Canadian Journal of Zoology 95 (2): 81–94. doi:10.1139/cjz-2016-0114. ISSN 0008-4301. Bibcode: 2017CaJZ...95...81D. https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/cjz-2016-0114. 
  29. ↑ Nechaev, V. A.; Nechaev, A. A. (2012-02-01). "Wild berry plants and carpophagous birds in the taiga zone of the southern Russian Far East" (in en). Contemporary Problems of Ecology 5 (1): 71–78. doi:10.1134/S1995425512010092. ISSN 1995-4263. Bibcode: 2012CPrEc...5...71N. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1995425512010092. 
  30. ↑ Bokhorst, S; Bjerke, JW; Davey, MP; Taulavuori, K; Taulavuori, E; Laine, K; Callaghan, TV; Phoenix, GK (2010). "Impacts of extreme winter warming events on plant physiology in a sub-Arctic heath community". Physiologia Plantarum 140 (2): 128–140. doi:10.1111/j.1399-3054.2010.01386.x. PMID 20497369. Bibcode: 2010PPlan.140..128B. 
  31. ↑ Ryde, Ingvild; Kristinsdóttir, Jóhanna; Halmová, Marika; Baussay, Augustin; Bråthen, Kari Anne; Neilson, Elizabeth; Jónsdóttir, Ingibjörg. "Volcanic soils alleviate the allelopathic capacity of Empetrum nigrum in degraded tundra ecosystems". Authorea. https://www.authorea.com/users/873180/articles/1253534-volcanic-soils-alleviate-the-allelopathic-capacity-of-empetrum-nigrum-in-degraded-tundra-ecosystems?commit=bc11ea2bbe0001b2c5b38cf882dd382d31236844. 
  32. ↑ Bell, J. N. B.; Tallis, J. H. (1973). "Empetrum Nigrum L.". Journal of Ecology 61 (1): 289–305. doi:10.2307/2258934. ISSN 0022-0477. Bibcode: 1973JEcol..61..289B. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2258934. 
  33. ↑ United States Department of the Army (2009) (in en-US). The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. pp. 47. ISBN 978-1-60239-692-0. OCLC 277203364. 
  34. ↑ Sulley, Erin (2021-08-26). "A Newfoundland and Labrador take on 'blackberry' pudding". PNI Atlantic News. https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/erin-sulley-a-newfoundland-and-labrador-take-on-blackberry-pudding-100627643. 
  35. ↑ "Where to Find Fresh Fish - Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada". Where to find fresh fish. https://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/trip-ideas/travel-stories/where-to-find-fresh-fish.. 
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 "Empetrum nigrum - L.". Plants for a Future. http://www.pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Empetrum+nigrum. 
  37. ↑ Adam; Innes of Learney (1970), pp. 541–543.

Bibliography

Wikidata ☰ Q202305 entry



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