Vaccinium whitfordii (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Vaccinium whitfordii Merr.

Family: Ericaceae

Vernacular names

• Philippines: katmo, gutmo (Igorot), fafalong (Bontok).

Distribution

The Philippines: Luzon, Mindoro, Leyte, Negros.

Uses

The fruits are edible, subacid or sweet, and of good quality. Locally they are collected for food.

Observations

• Terrestrial or epiphytic shrub or tree, 1-5 m tall.
• Leaves elliptical, 1-2 cm × 0.4-0.8 cm.
• Flowers small and red.
• Fruit a berry, 5 mm diameter, purplish or blackish.

In forests, open heaths and thickets, 1000-2500m altitude. Flowering and fruiting year-round.

Selected sources

• Brown, W.H., 1951-1957. Useful plants of the Philippines. Reprint of the 1941-1943 ed. 3 Volumes. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Technical Bulletin 10. Bureau of Printing, Manila, the Philippines.

• van Steenis, C.G.G.J. et al. (Editors), 1950-. Flora Malesiana. Series 1. Vol. 1, 4-10. Centre for Research and Development in Biology, Bogor, Indonesia, and Rijksherbarium, Leiden, the Netherlands. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Boston, London.

Authors

P.C.M. Jansen, J. Jukema, L.P.A. Oyen, T.G. van Lingen