Amelanchier bartramiana
Amelanchier humilis
amélanchier de Bartram, Bartram's serviceberry, mountain serviceberry, mountain shadbush, mountain shadbush or serviceberry, oblongfruit serviceberry
amélanchier bas, low service-berry, low shadbush
1–50, rhizomatous or suckering and forming scattered colonies.
half-unfolded;
petiole (2–)4.5–10.5(–25) mm;
blade narrowly elliptic-oval to oblong to broadly oval, (26–)37–51(–74) × (12–)20–29(–48) mm, base usually cuneate, each margin (2–)8–14(–27) teeth on proximal 1/2 and (2–)7–12(–21) teeth in distalmost cm, largest teeth less than 1 mm, apex acute to rounded, abaxial surface sparsely (moderately) hairy (or glabrous) by flowering, glabrous or sparsely hairy later, adaxial glabrous (or sparsely hairy) later.
partly to fully unfolded;
petiole (5–)9.3–16.7(–24) mm;
blade elliptic or oblong to ovate or obovate, (20–)31–47(–62) × (12–)21–35(–45) cm, base rounded to cordate, each margin with (0 or)1–6(–13) teeth on proximal 1/2 and (0–)3–6(–9) teeth in distalmost cm, largest teeth more than 1 mm, apex broadly subacute to rounded and mucronate, abaxial surface densely hairy by flowering, surfaces sparsely (moderately) hairy (or glabrous) later.
(1 or)2 or 3(or 4)-flowered, (6–)13–25(–38) mm.
(5–)7–11(–14)-flowered, (12–)18–32(–51) mm.
(0 or)1(–3) subtended by a leaf, proximalmost (4–)11–21(–35) mm.
(0 or)1(or 2) subtended by a leaf, proximalmost (4–)6–11(–16) mm.
sepals ascending to recurved after flowering, (1.7–)2.7–3.9(–6) mm;
petals oblong-oval to broadly elliptic, (5.5–)7.1–8.7(–16.9) × (2.6–)3.9–5.3(–7) mm;
stamens (8–)18–21(–25);
styles (3 or)4 or 5, (2.7–)3.8–5.2(–6.1) mm;
ovary apex densely hairy (or glabrous).
sepals spreading to recurved after flowering, (1–)1.6–2.7(–3.6) mm;
petals to ivory, obovate-oblong, (4.3–)5.9–8.7(–11.3) × (1.4–)2.3–3.9(–5) mm;
stamens (14–)18–21(–22);
styles (3–)5, (1.8–)2.3–3(–3.6) mm;
ovary apex densely hairy.
dark purple, pear-shaped, 10–15 mm diam. 2n = 2x, 3x, 4x.
almost black, 6–8 mm diam. 2n = 2x, 3x, 4x.
Amelanchier bartramiana
Amelanchier humilis
Amelanchier bartramiana is the only North American Amelanchier with leaves that are imbricate in bud, usually fewer than four flowers per inflorescence, and conic ovary apices (and hence fruits that are more or less pear-shaped rather than globose as in other members of the genus). Because of these differences, P. Landry (1975) placed A. bartramiana in its own subgenus, and all other members of the genus in another. W. H. Blanchard (1907), W. A. Robinson and C. R. Partanen (1980), and Robinson (1982) also recognized the distinctness of this species. Amelanchier bartramiana grows farther north than any other shadbush in eastern North America, and more than other shadbushes, it occupies relatively undisturbed habitats, such as peatlands and natural breaks in mature forests. Some plants in this species produce seed sexually (C. S. Campbell et al. 1987). Sexual plants of A. bartramiana are self-incompatible diploids; a tetraploid individual has been reported (A. C. Dibble et al. 1998); it had relatively large petals and might have been an autotetraploid.
Amelanchier bartramiana usually flowers with A. laevis, and it frequently hybridizes with other members of the genus. M. L. Fernald (1950) and L. Cinq-Mars (1971) reported hybrids with A. arborea (A. ×quinti-martii Louis-Marie), A. canadensis, A. fernaldii, A. gaspensis, A. humilis, A. intermedia, A. laevis, A. sanguinea, A. spicata, and A. interior. The hybrid with A. laevis can usually be found when these two species grow together (J. E. Weber and C. S. Campbell 1989). The authors have documented a hybrid between A. arborea and A. bartramiana in eastern Pennsylvania (M. B. Burgess et al., unpubl.).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Amelanchier humilis is distinctive in its strongly rhizomatous or suckering habit, erect inflorescences, leaf margins with three to six teeth on distal cm, and preference for basic or neutral soils. Amelanchier humilis was considered to be conspecific with A. spicata by G. N. Jones (1946). Occurrence of A. humilis in Saskatchewan, Kansas, and Nebraska is questionable, as no specimens were seen to confirm its presence there.
M. L. Fernald (1950) reported hybrids between Amelanchier humilis and A. arborea, A. bartramiana, and A. spicata. The authors have observed putative hybrids with A. amabilis.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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