The cranberry genera are often segregated as the subgenus or genus Oxycoccos. In the BWCA, generally only found on sphagnum mats. Its delicate scale and woody, thread sized stems are unlike anything else. Stems very slender, vinelike, rooting at the nodes. Leaves lance-shaped, leathery.
Flowers pink to red, borne singly or in clusters at ends of stems.
Underground perennating structures are generally well below the soil surface. Mycorrhizal associations on portions of roots allow for improved plant nutrient levels and growth rates in acid or peat soils. Also Europe and Asia. Ombrotrophic sphagnum bogs and minerotrophic fens in moist coastal and boreal forests. Grows on peat in poorly drained sites with a very high water table.