Empetrum nigrum (Black crowberry)

Empetrum nigrum L.

Black crowberry

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Ericales	Tea, persimmon, blueberry, Brazil nut, azalea, many others
Family	Empetraceae	Heath or heather family, also includes cranberry, blueberry, huckleberry, azalea, rhododendron
Genus	Empetrum	Greek en, “in,” and petros, “rock,” for its rocky habitat
Species	nigrum	Latin niger, “black,” for the color of the berries

About plant names...

Black crowberry is native to northern portions of the northern hemisphere, and to the Falkland Islands. Grouse, ptarmigan and red-backed voles favor the high energy berries, along with reindeer, caribou, and bears.

Identification: Black crowberry is a ground-hugging, dense, somewhat mosslike plant rarely more than 6" (15 cm) in height. It favors acid soils such as those in open pine forests. Needlelike leaves, each ⅛-¼" (3-8 mm) long, appear on long shoots. In cross section, needles are deeply grooved, with their edges rolled under. Flowers are inconspicuous, purplish brown, with one or both sexes appearing on a given plant. Fruits are juicy black berries ⅛-³/₁₆" (4-6 mm) around, each containing 6-9 white seeds.

Edibility: Although technically edible to humans, black crowberries are not very digestible, watery, and lacking in taste. They are sometimes used, in conjunction with other berries, in pies and jellies.

Online References:

Empetrum nigrum at Skye Flora

Empetrum nigrum on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants

Empetrum nigrum at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Empetrum nigrum on BorealForest.org

Empetrum nigrum on the USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

Empetrum nigrum on the USDA Plants Database

Empetrum nigrum from the Jepson Manual