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amélanchier bas, low service-berry, low shadbush

Habit Shrubs, to 1.5 m (sometimes to 8 m in shaded conditions).
Stems

1–50, rhizomatous or suckering and forming scattered colonies.

Leaves

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

(5–)7–11(–14)-flowered, (12–)18–32(–51) mm.

Pedicels

(0 or)1(or 2) subtended by a leaf, proximalmost (4–)6–11(–16) mm.

Flowers

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

almost black, 6–8 mm diam. 2n = 2x, 3x, 4x.

Amelanchier humilis

Phenology Flowering Apr–May; fruiting Jul–Aug.
Habitat Dry, open sites with rocky, gravelly, or sandy soil, calcareous soil
Elevation 0–500 m (0–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
IA; IL; IN; KS; MD; MI; MN; MO; ND; NE; NJ; NY; OH; PA; SD; VT; WI; WV; MB; ON; QC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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. 656.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Amelanchier
Sibling taxa
A. alnifolia, A. amabilis, A. arborea, A. bartramiana, A. canadensis, A. cusickii, A. fernaldii, A. gaspensis, A. interior, A. intermedia, A. laevis, A. nantucketensis, A. nitens, A. pallida, A. sanguinea, A. spicata, A. utahensis
Synonyms A. humilis var. campestris, A. humilis var. compacta, A. humilis var. exserrata, A. mucronata
Name authority Wiegand: Rhodora 14: 141, plate 95, figs. 2A–G. (1912)
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