Alpine Bilberry

A few posts ago I focused on black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata) and my quest to see all Minnesota native species in the blueberry family. Today I made another huge step forward, seeing alpine bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum) for the first time. This is yet another of the incredibly rare, arctic-alpine disjunct, state endangered species found in MN. Alpine bilberry was first documented in the state in 1891, then in a second location in 1937. The second population has not been relocated in recent years, whereas the first location was found again in 1982. So, these plants growing along the shoreline, may very well be the only population in the state. 

I made my way out to the site early morning through the light sprinkling. After about 30 minutes of walking I sheltered under a black spruce as the rain increased to a drizzle and waited about 2 hours, listening to the rain and waves, until the sun rose around 7:30. There was a large pool mostly protected from the waves; this specific microclimate seemed like the ideal habitat to find a rare plant like this, and it only took a minute or two to find the plants. 

Overlooking Lake Superior at sunrise

Alpine bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum)

State Endangered Species

growing in the crevices and along the pool

Later on in the day, I drove to the Kadunce River to do some exploring.

Methuselah's beard lichen (Usnea longissima)

State Special Concern Species

Chaenotricha obscura

Fairy pins (Phaeocalicium polyporaeum)

I finished by stopping at the site where John first found fringed chocolate chip lichen (Solorina spongiosa). Here it grows more widely distributed on the rock wall, I found two decent sized clusters about 100 feet away from each other. 

Fringed chocolate chip lichen (Solorina spongiosa)

State Watchlist Species - Newly Discovered

Mealy-rimmed shingle lichen (Pannaria conoplea)

State Watchlist Species - Declining