Amelanchier cusickii |
Amelanchier humilis |
|
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Cusick's serviceberry, Cusick's shadbush, saskatoon |
amélanchier bas, low service-berry, low shadbush |
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Habit | Shrubs, 2–8 m. Stems 1–50, solitary or in colonies. | Shrubs, to 1.5 m (sometimes to 8 m in shaded conditions). |
Stems | 1–50, rhizomatous or suckering and forming scattered colonies. |
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Leaves | fully unfolded; petiole (9–)12.8–19(–28) mm; blade elliptic to suborbiculate, (22–)33–46(–61) × (13–)25–32(–50) mm, base subcordate to truncate, each margin with (0 or)1–6(–11) teeth on proximal 1/2 and (2–)4 or 5(–7) teeth in distalmost cm, largest teeth 1 mm, apex usually truncate, sometimes mucronate to acute, abaxial surface glabrous or sparsely hairy by flowering, glabrous (or sparsely hairy) later, adaxial glabrous 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. |
Inflorescences | (4–)6–8(–10)-flowered, (17–)26–36(–47) mm. |
(5–)7–11(–14)-flowered, (12–)18–32(–51) mm. |
Pedicels | (0 or)1 or 2 subtended by a leaf, proximalmost (4–)9–14(–18) mm. |
(0 or)1(or 2) subtended by a leaf, proximalmost (4–)6–11(–16) mm. |
Flowers | sepals erect to recurved after flowering, (2.6–)3.3–4.3(–5.3) mm; petals obovate to oblanceolate, (10.8–)13.3–20.1(–23.2) × (2.3–)3.3–6.3(–7.5) mm; stamens (14–)18–20(–21); styles (4 or)5, (1.7–)2.6–4(–4.8) mm; ovary apex glabrous or sparsely hairy (or with a ring of hairs at base of styles). |
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. |
Pomes | bluish black, 10 mm diam. 2n = 4x. |
almost black, 6–8 mm diam. 2n = 2x, 3x, 4x. |
Amelanchier cusickii |
Amelanchier humilis |
|
Phenology | Flowering Mar–Jul; fruiting May–Aug. | Flowering Apr–May; fruiting Jul–Aug. |
Habitat | Basaltic ledges, cliffs, and bluffs along streams, stony soil, streambeds, stream banks, copses, mountainsides, roadsides | Dry, open sites with rocky, gravelly, or sandy soil, calcareous soil |
Elevation | 600–2300 m (2000–7500 ft) | 0–500 m (0–1600 ft) |
Distribution |
ID; MT; OR; WA; BC |
IA; IL; IN; KS; MD; MI; MN; MO; ND; NE; NJ; NY; OH; PA; SD; VT; WI; WV; MB; ON; QC; SK
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Discussion | Amelanchier cusickii has distinctively long petals. Leaves that are glabrous upon expanding and glabrous or sparsely hairy ovary apices are also useful for identification. The species flowers before A. alnifolia, which suggests that the two are genetically distinct. G. N. Jones (1946) noted that A. alnifolia and A. cusickii frequently grow together and that there is no evidence of hybridization; the authors have observed hybridization between A. alnifolia var. semiintegrifolia and A. cusickii. (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.) |
Source | FNA vol. 9, p. 652. | FNA vol. 9, p. 656. |
Parent taxa | Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Amelanchier | Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Amelanchier |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | A. alnifolia var. cusickii, A. basalticola | A. humilis var. campestris, A. humilis var. compacta, A. humilis var. exserrata, A. mucronata |
Name authority | Fernald: Erythea 7: 121. (1899) | Wiegand: Rhodora 14: 141, plate 95, figs. 2A–G. (1912) |
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