Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue, purple or blackberries. Species in the section Cyanococcus are the most common fruits sold as 'blueberries' and are mainly native to North America. They are usually erect but sometimes flat shrubs varying in size from 10 cm to 4 m tall. The leaves can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are oval shaped like a two-dimensional section through an egg, with 1-8 cm long and 0,5 - 3,5 cm broad. The flowers are bell-shaped, white, pale pink or red, sometimes tinged greenish. The fruit is a false berry 5-16 mm diameter with a sparkled crown at the end; they are pale greenish at first, then reddish-purple, and finally blue on ripening. They have a sweet taste when mature, with variable acidity. Blueberry bushes typically bear fruit from May through June. Fruiting times are affected by local conditions such as altitude and latitude. We can get many benefits if we consume blueberries. They contain antioxidants and are useful for human nervous system and brain health. People may have them in juice. They are considered as a low GI fruit, means they have favourable impact on blood sugar regulation. Diabetic people are safe to consume it. We can freeze them without losing their delicate anthocyanin antioxidants until six months. "... are mainly native to North America" (Paragraph 1) The underlined word is closest in meaning to ...

Question

Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue, purple or blackberries. Species in the section Cyanococcus are the most common fruits sold as 'blueberries' and are mainly native to North America. They are usually erect but sometimes flat shrubs varying in size from 10 cm to 4 m tall. The leaves can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are oval shaped like a two-dimensional section through an egg, with 1-8 cm long and 0,5 - 3,5 cm broad. The flowers are bell-shaped, white, pale pink or red, sometimes tinged greenish.

The fruit is a false berry 5-16 mm diameter with a sparkled crown at the end; they are pale greenish at first, then reddish-purple, and finally blue on ripening. They have a sweet taste when mature, with variable acidity. Blueberry bushes typically bear fruit from May through June. Fruiting times are affected by local conditions such as altitude and latitude.

We can get many benefits if we consume blueberries. They contain antioxidants and are useful for human nervous system and brain health. People may have them in juice. They are considered as a low GI fruit, means they have favourable impact on blood sugar regulation. Diabetic people are safe to consume it. We can freeze them without losing their delicate anthocyanin antioxidants until six months.

"... are mainly native to North America" (Paragraph 1)

The underlined word is closest in meaning to ...