HPLC analysis of fruit from the blueberry species Vaccinium chamissonis, V. deliciosum, V. membranaceum and V. ovalifolium identified the 3-monoarabinosides, 3-monogalactosides, and 3-monoglucosides of cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, peonidin and petunidin. Vaccinium parvifolium only contained cyanidins, and was very high in cyanidin-3-galactoside (88.7%). Vaccinium membranaceum was also high in cyanidins and cyanidin-3-galactoside. Differences in the relative percentages of galactose, cyanidins and in particular cyanidin-3-galactoside supported current designations of these two taxa as valid species and distinguished them from the other three. Differences in anthocyanin or aglycone percentages were not useful in distinguishing V. deliciosum from V. chamissonis and V. ovalifolium; however, differences in aglycone-sugars were. The similarities among V. chamissonis (2n = 2X = 24) and V. ovalifolium (2n = 4X = 48) support their previous designation as a probably polyploid series.Key words: HPLC, blueberry, chemotaxonomy, taxonomy, biosystematics
Identification and community profiling of Vaccinium membranaceum root-associated fungi over an elevation gradient in BC's eastern rocky mountains.
