In the southeastern United States the genus Vaccinium (Ericaceae) has long been the subject of close study and controversy (Camp 1945, VanderKloet 1988, Luteyn et al. 1996). Though some taxa are sharply distinct, others hybridize or intergrade to such an extent that authors have been hard pressed to agree on the number of species, how they are best separated, or even where they are to be found.