Gaylussacia tomentosa, commonly known as the hairy dangleberry or hairytwig huckleberry, is a plant species native to the coastal plains of the southeastern United States (Alabama, Georgia, Florida, the Carolinas).Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
Asa Gray described this species as Vaccinium tomentosum in 1878. It was given its current name in 1897.
Gaylussacia tomentosa is a shrub up to 200 cm (80 inches) tall, spreading by means of underground rhizomes hence sometimes forming huge colonies. Leaves are dull green or yellow-green on the upper surface, pale green and waxy on the underside. Flowers are in dangling groups of 2–4, greenish-white. Fruits are dark blue or occasionally white, sweet and juicy.
G. tomentosa has been found to inhabit habitat types such as sandhills, pine flatwoods, and xeric coastal fringe sandhills.Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the southern and mid-atlantic states. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It has shown preference for both dry and moist loamy sands.Florida State University Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium database. URL: http://herbarium.bio.fsu.edu. Last accessed: May 2019. Collectors: Loran C. Anderson, Mike Jenkins, Jeffrey M. Kane, Ed Keppner, Lisa Keppner, Helen Roth, and Annie Schmidt. States and Counties: Florida: Bay, Clay, Gadsden, Franklin, Leon, Liberty, and Okaloosa. Georgia: Thomas.
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