Empetrum rubrum

Red crowberry
Red crowberry growing in the Falkland Islands
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Empetrum
Species:
E. rubrum
Binomial name
Empetrum rubrum
Forms; Subspecies; Varieties

E. r. f. falklandicum
R.D.Good[2]
E. r. subsp. eamesii
(Fernald & Wiegand) R.D.Good[3]
E. r. var. atropurpureum
(Fernald & Wiegand) R.D.Good[3]
E. r. var. eamesii
(Fernald & Wiegand) Cronquist[4]

Empetrum rubrum, known as red crowberry or diddle-dee (Chilean Spanish: Murtilla de Magallanes), is a species of plant in the family Ericaceae with a distributional range in Chile from Talca (35°S) to Cape Horn (55°S); in areas of adjacent Argentina; in the Falkland Islands; and in Tristan da Cunha. One of its northernmost natural growing places is Laguna del Maule. In Chile this species often grows in high altitude areas close to the tree line and can tolerate alpine conditions such as strong winds and high sun exposure. In the Falkland Islands it is the dominant species across large areas of lowland and upland dwarf shrub heath, and is referenced in the islands' unofficial national anthem. Its fruits are edible.[5]

  1. ^ In: Species Plantarum. Editio quarta 4(2): 713. 1806. "Name - Empetrum rubrum Vahl ex Willd". Tropicos. Saint Louis, Missouri: Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
  2. ^ A description for the falklandicum form was published in: J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 47: 517 1926
  3. ^ a b Descriptions for subspecies eamesii and variety atropurpureum were published in: J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 47(317): 519 1927
  4. ^ Cronquist published var. eamesii in: Man. Vasc. Pl. N.E. U.S. (2nd. edition) 864 1991
  5. ^ Michail Belov. "Description and images of Empetrum rubum". ChileFlora. Retrieved May 19, 2010.