#bearberry

• Arctostaphylos — A genus of higher plants in the Ericaceae family, comprising approximately 60 species of evergreen, low-growing or trailing shrubs, predominantly distributed in the mountainous and coastal regions of western North America. The main structural characteristic of these plants is their smooth, glossy, deep reddish-brown bark, leathery leaves, and globose fruits resembling small red or brown berries, commonly known as manzanitas or bearberries.
• Bearberry — The scientific name for the bearberry (strugurele-ursului), a prostrate evergreen shrub in the family Ericaceae, widespread throughout subarctic and alpine regions of the Northern Hemisphere. In a structural and medicinal sense, the plant features leathery, obovate, dark green leaves and pinkish-white urn-shaped flowers, followed by bright red spherical berries; its leaves are highly valued in phytotherapy due to a high arbutin content, offering potent antiseptic properties for the urinary tract.
• Alpine bearberry — The scientific name for the alpine bearberry, a deciduous dwarf shrub in the family Ericaceae, characteristic of arctic tundra and high-altitude alpine meadows. In a structural and biological sense, the Arctous alpinus species stands out for its prostrate branches forming dense ground carpets, serrated leaves turning intense purplish-red before dropping, small, greenish-white flowers, and spherical berries that become glossy-black at maturity, representing an essential trophic resource for migratory birds.
• Arctous ruber — The official binary name or taxonomic synonym for a dwarf shrub species in the Ericaceae family, popularly known as the red bearberry (or Arctostaphylos rubra), structurally adapted to extreme alpine and arctic climates. The plant features deciduous leaves that turn bright red in autumn, small urceolate flowers, and spherical, juicy, dark-red berries that serve as an important food source for mountain wildlife.