わが国の本州、中部地方以北から北海道、それに北半球に広く分布しています。亜高山帯から高山帯に生育しています。高さは30〜80センチで、倒卵形の葉が互生します。葉の裏面は白色を帯びます。6月から7月ごろ、前年枝の先に白色でやや紅色を帯びた壺形の花を咲かせます。花冠の先は浅く5裂します。果実は液果で、紫黒色に熟して食べられます。中国語では「篤斯越桔(du si yue ju)」と呼ばれます。
ツツジ科スノキ属の落葉小低木で、学名は Vaccinium uliginosum。英名は Bog bilberry。
The Bog bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum) belongs to Ericaceae (the Azalea family). It is a deciduous shrub that native from Chubu district of Honshu north to Hokkaido, and widely in the Northern Hemisphere. This shrub grows in sub-alpine to alpine zone, and it can reach 30-80 cm in height. The leaves are obovate, alternate and the abaxial sides are tinged white. The pink-tinged white, urn-shaped flowers bloom atop of new branches from June to July. The corolla is quintuple-lobate shallowly. The fruits are berries, ripen purplish black, and can be used as a food. It is called "篤斯越桔" (du si yue ju) in Chinese.