Single Record

PhotoRecords: YES Richard Haswell: Rio Grande Co, volcanic ridge east of CR 384, 26 June 2015

Comments: In the Watershed, Vaccinium scoparium occupies the same habitat and range as V. myrtillus—lightly forested slopes on both sides of the Valley—but usually at higher elevations and with fewer collections. Note that the 2015 photorecords shows a plant growing on a volcanic ridge to the east of the Elephant Rocks in Rio Grande Co, that is, in the La Garita foothilles. The latest observation is 27 Aug 2022, 8 km southwest of South Fork, Rio Grande Co (iNaturalist observation 132567833). Hogan and Elliot (2022) found the species not common in the North Cristos wilderness area. In the Southern San Juan Mountains Wilderness, however, Sharples (2017) found V. scoparium "common," whereas Vaccinium cespitosum was "rare," and V. myrtillus was "abundant." V. scoparium follows the Rio Grande drainage two-thirds of the way down New Mexico. Its USA range is basically the Southern and Northern Rockies and the Cascades. Note that in the absence of berries, V. scoparium can be distinguished from V. myrtillus and V. cespitosum by the leaf edges. V. scoparium leaves are not sharply serrate, more crenulate.