BILBERRY

bilberry, blaeberry or whortleberry, known botanically as _vaccinium myrtillus_ (natural order ericaceae), a low-growing shrub, found in woods, copses and on heaths, chiefly in hilly districts. the stiff stems, from half a foot to two feet long, bear small ovate leaves with a serrate margin, and small, globose, rosy flowers tinged with green. the berries are dark blue, with a waxy bloom, and about one-third of an inch in diameter; they are used for tarts, preserves, &c. the plant is widely distributed throughout the north temperate and extends into the arctic zone. cowberry is a closely allied species, _v. vitis-idaea_, growing in similar situations, but not found in the south-eastern portion of england, distinguished by its evergreen leaves and red acid berry. bilbo (from the spanish town bilbao, formerly called in england "bilboa," and famous, like toledo, for its sword-blades), in the earliest english use, a sword, especially one of superior temper. in the plural form (as in shakespeare's phrase "methought i lay worse than the mutines in the bilboes") it meant the irons into which offenders were put on board ship.