Tibetan blueberry
Vaccinium vacciniaceum

Family: Ericaceae

What it is like

A small shrub that can grow attached to trees. It grows 50 cm tall. The leaves are in a ring of 5-8. The leaf blades are oblong to sword shaped and 4-5 cm long by 1-1.5 cm wide. The leaf blades are wedge shaped at the base. The flowers are in groups 2-6 cm long. The flowers are greenish yellow. The fruit is a berry that has about 10 chambers.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in evergreen forests between 2,300-2,400 m above sea level in Tibet. In Sikkim it grows between 1,200-1,800 m above sea level. In the Himalayas in India it grows between 1,200-2,400 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Bhutan, China, Himalayas, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, SE Asia, Sikkim, Tibet

How it is used for food

The flowers are acidic and used in curries. The fruit are eaten raw or cooked.

Edible parts

Flowers, fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Cham, Dieng-soh-lardi, Sano mussikane, Soti-pydung

Synonyms

Agapetes serrata G. Don; Ceratostema vacciniaceum Roxb.; Thibaudia vaccinacea (Roxb.) Voigt; Vaccinium serratum (G. Don) Wight; and others