[1]Cited as “U.S. 1670” in Onions, CT (1933). Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. Vol. 1 (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p.
No-one misidentified anything, per se. Taxonomy in the 1600’s just wasn’t anywhere near what it is today, and you’d be well in your rights calling the berry with the same name, just like I’m sure you call apples apples instead of going by the variety of subspecies. (And “apple” used to even mean even wider set of fruits. That’s where the word for “orange” here in the Nordics comes from, “Appelsin” = “Chinese Apple”)
It’s a variety of bilberry.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccinium_myrtillus
The name huckleberry comes from “hurtleberry” -> “whortleberry”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huckleberry#Nomenclature
[1]Cited as “U.S. 1670” in Onions, CT (1933). Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. Vol. 1 (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p.
No-one misidentified anything, per se. Taxonomy in the 1600’s just wasn’t anywhere near what it is today, and you’d be well in your rights calling the berry with the same name, just like I’m sure you call apples apples instead of going by the variety of subspecies. (And “apple” used to even mean even wider set of fruits. That’s where the word for “orange” here in the Nordics comes from, “Appelsin” = “Chinese Apple”)