Amelanchier laevis
Amelanchier gaspensis
Allegheny serviceberry, amélanchier glabre, smooth serviceberry, smooth shadbush
amélanchier de gaspésie, Gaspé serviceberry, Gaspé shadbush
less than half-unfolded;
petiole (7–)15–26(–36) mm;
blade elliptic to ovate to oblong or obovate, (32–)48–75(–100) × (19–)29–42(–60) mm, base subcordate to rounded, each margin with (0–)10–23(–38) teeth on proximal 1/2 and (1–)5–9(–13) teeth in distalmost cm, largest teeth less than 1 mm, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface glabrous (or sparsely hairy) by flowering, surfaces glabrous later.
mostly unfolded;
petiole (8–)12.8–20.7(–25) mm;
blade broadly oblong to suborbiculate, (32–)41–57(–63) × (26–)30–40(–45) mm, base cordate or rounded, each margin with (0–)3–9(–12) teeth on proximal 1/2 and 3–5 teeth in distalmost cm, largest teeth more than 1 mm, apex rounded to subtruncate or short-pointed, abaxial surface moderately (sparsely or densely) hairy by flowering, surfaces sparsely hairy (or glabrous) later.
(4–)7–11(–14)-flowered, (25–)43–65(–85) mm.
(3–)5–10(–12)-flowered, (20–)35–50(–55) mm.
0 or 1(or 2) subtended by a leaf, proximalmost (7–)15–28(–41) mm.
1 or 2 subtended by a leaf, proximalmost (9–)12–19(–26) mm.
sepals spreading to recurved after flowering, (1.9–)2.8–4(–5.3) mm;
petals linear-oblong, (8–)12.5–17.3(–22.5) × (2.9–)3.9–5.7(–7.5) mm;
stamens (14–)19–21(–24);
styles (4 or)5(or 6), (2.5–)3.3–4.4(–5.3) mm;
ovary apex glabrous (or sparsely hairy).
sepals recurved after flowering, (2.6–)3–4.5(–5.9) mm;
petals oblanceolate, (8–)9.7–13.5(–15) × (3–)4.1–6.2(–7) mm;
stamens (17–)18–20(–21);
styles (4 or)5, (2.3–)2.6–3.5(–4.1) mm;
ovary apex densely hairy.
dark purple, 8–15 mm diam. 2n = 2x, 4x.
blackish purple, 10 mm diam. 2n = 4x.
Amelanchier laevis
Amelanchier gaspensis
Amelanchier laevis is common through much of its range and readily identified by its typically arborescent habit, leaves that are reddish and glabrous by flowering, and relatively long inflorescences, pedicels, and petals. Southeastern United States populations tend to be restricted to high elevations. The relationship to its closest relative, A. arborea, is discussed under the latter.
Amelanchier laevis frequently hybridizes with congeners, including A. arborea, A. bartramiana, A. canadensis, A. humilis, A. interior, A. sanguinea, and A. spicata (M. L. Fernald 1950; L. Cinq-Mars 1971). J. E. Cruise (1964) documented hybrid swarms between A. laevis and both A. arborea and A. canadensis in New Jersey. The hybrid with A. bartramiana can usually be found when these two species grow together (J. E. Weber and C. S. Campbell 1989). The hybrid with A. arborea, A. ×grandiflora Rehder, is used ornamentally.
A. C. Dibble et al. (1998) concluded that Amelanchier laevis is possibly one of the parents of A. "rubra,” an entity that is morphologically distinct. This entity is a tetraploid shrub with stems to 3.5 m and usually colonial, leaves that are reddish and glabrous at flowering, and petals that are often faintly reddish and slightly twisted. Ovary apices are mostly sparsely hairy, but may also be densely hairy or glabrous. Quantitative analysis places A. “rubra” between the cluster of A. laevis plus A. intermedia on the one hand and A. nantucketensis or A. spicata on the other (Dibble et al.). It is possible that this entity could be a hybrid with one of these arborescent species (A. laevis and A. intermedia) plus one of the shrub species (A. nantucketensis and A. spicata). The authors have located populations of A. “rubra” on Mount Desert Island and eastward for about 120 km along the Maine coast. The authors have observed plants that appear to be F1s of this entity and later-generation hybrids with A. bartramiana as one of the parents.
Amelanchier laevis has been documented to be self-compatible and to produce seeds asexually (C. S. Campbell et al. 1985; A. C. Dibble et al. 1998).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
K. M. Wiegand (1912) considered Amelanchier gaspensis to be perplexing because it varies much in stature and habit, as well as in leaf outline and dentition. The leaves suggest an intermediate condition between A. sanguinea and A. humilis, especially in the venation.
G. N. Jones (1946) considered the range of Amelanchier gaspensis to extend off the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec and into Ontario and Michigan; he listed 13 specimens away from the Gaspé, and uncertainty exists about the identity of some of these specimens. For some specimens, Jones first annotated them as A. spicata and later changed his annotation to A. gaspensis. Wiegand annotated one of the specimens as “A. humilis x?,” another specimen as “A. humilis,” and another as “A. florida” (A. alnifolia var. semiintegrifolia). E. G. Voss (1972–1996, vol. 2) included A. gaspensis in A. sanguinea. M. L. Fernald (1950) reported A. gaspensis from northern Maine; specimens from there assigned to A. gaspensis do not match it in all respects. The occurrence of A. gaspensis away from the Gaspé remains questionable.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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