Empetrum Nigrum

''Empetrum nigrum'', crowberry, black crowberry, mossberry, 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.

Description

''Empetrum nigrum'' is a low growing, evergreen shrub with a creeping habit. The leaves are long, arranged alternately along the stem. The stems are red when young and then fade to brown. It blooms between May and June.

It is usually dioecious. The flowers are small and not very noticeable, with greenish-pink sepals that turn reddish purple. The round fruits are drupes, wide, usually black or purplish-black but occasionally red. Its fruit persists for an average of 92.7 days, and bears an average of 7.8 seeds per fruit. 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.

Subspecies

* ''Empetrum nigrum'' subsp. ''asiaticum'' (Nakai ex H.Ito) Kuvaev – Korean crowberry
* ''Empetrum nigrum'' subsp. ''hermaphroditum'' – a monoecious tetraploid subspecies (sometimes considered its own species) occurring further north and at higher altitudes.
* ''Empetrum nigrum'' subsp. ''subholarcticum'' (V.N.Vassil.) Kuvaev (synonym: ''Empetrum subholarcticum'' V.N.Vassil.)

Distribution and habitat

The species has a near circumboreal distribution in the Northern Hemisphere. It is also native in the Falkland Islands.

Evolutionary biologists have explained the striking geographic distribution of crowberries as a result of long-distance migratory birds dispersing seeds from one pole to the other.

''Empetrum nigrum'' grows in bogs and other acidic soils in shady, moist areas.

Ecology

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

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

''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.

Uses

The fruit is edible and can be dried, 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.

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. The Dena'ina (Tanaina) harvest it for food, sometimes storing in quantity for winter, sometimes mixed with lard or oil.

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. In Labrador and northern regions of Newfoundland, entire plants are harvested and the sods used to impart flavour to smoked fish.

The species can also be grown as a ground cover, 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.

In culture

The Scottish Highlands Clan Maclean's badge is believed to be ''E. nigrum''.Adam; Innes of Learney (1970), pp. 541–543.

Gallery

References

Bibliography

*
Forest Service Fire Ecology

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nigrum
Plants described in 1753
Greenlandic cuisine
Flora of Subarctic America
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Flora of Greenland