Amelanchier utahensis
Amelanchier nitens
pale leaf serviceberry, pale serviceberry, Utah service-berry, Utah serviceberry or shadbush
shining shadbush
mostly or fully unfolded;
petiole (3–)6–13(–22) mm;
blade suborbiculate to oval or obovate, (14–)21–36(–63) × (9–)16–32(–54) mm, base usually rounded to subcordate, sometimes cuneate, each margin with 0–3(–6) teeth on proximal 1/2 and (0–)3–5(–7) teeth in distalmost cm, largest teeth more than 1 mm, apex usually rounded to truncate or emarginate, sometimes acute and mucronate, abaxial surface moderately (sparsely or densely) hairy by flowering, sparsely to moderately hairy later, adaxial glabrous or sparsely (moderately) hairy later.
fully unfolded;
petiole (2.5–)3.4–6(–8) mm;
blade ovate to obovate, (6–)16–24(–31) × (7–)11–16(–19) mm, base cuneate to rounded, each margin with 0–3(–6) teeth on proximal 1/2 and (0–)2–6(–9) teeth in distalmost cm, largest teeth less than 1 mm, apex acute to rounded, abaxial surface sparsely to moderately hairy (or glabrous) by flowering, surfaces moderately to densely hairy (or glabrous) later.
(4–)6–10(–13)-flowered, (8–)16–30(–43) mm.
(3 or)4–7(–12)-flowered, (8–)10–18(–27) mm.
(0 or)1 or 2(or 3) subtended by a leaf, proximalmost (2–)7–16(–25) mm.
(0 or)1 or 2(or 3) subtended by a leaf, proximalmost (4–)6–12(–19) mm.
sepals usually recurved after flowering, (1.6–)2.6–4.2(–6.5) mm;
petals oblanceolate to oblong, (4.9–)7.2–9.8(–14) × (1.6–)2.6–3.1(–5.3) mm;
stamens (9–)13–19(–20);
styles (2 or)3 or 4, (1.7–)2.3–3(–3.9) mm;
ovary apex moderately to densely hairy (or glabrous).
sepals spreading to recurved after flowering, (1.3–)2.2–3.3(–4.3) mm;
petals linear to oblanceolate, (5.2–)6.7–9.1(–12.2) × (1.7–)2.4–3.5(–4.6) mm;
stamens (7–)12–19(–21);
styles 2–4(or 5), (1.8–)2.3–3.4(–4.7) mm;
ovary apex glabrous or sparsely to moderately (densely) hairy.
purplish black, 6–10 mm diam. 2n = 4x.
pinkish purple, 8–14 mm diam. 2n = 2x.
Amelanchier utahensis
Amelanchier nitens
The sparsely to moderately hairy mature leaves and twigs, rounded to truncate or emarginate leaf apices, relatively short petals, and reduced numbers of stamens and styles are distinctive characteristics for the wide-ranging and common Amelanchier utahensis. Within 25 years of its publication, about a dozen names were published that G. N. Jones (1946) considered synonyms of A. utahensis. Some recent floras have recognized some of these synonymized taxa, including A. bakeri Greene, A. covillei, A. mormonica C. K. Schneider, A. oreophila A. Nelson, and A. venulosa Greene.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Amelanchier nitens is rarely found outside of pinyon pine-juniper community types; it often grows adjacent to seasonal streams and washes. The species is distinguished by its lustrous and coriaceous leaves (particularly in lower elevation populations), moderately hairy twigs, usually salmon-colored bark on older branches and trunks, relatively short inflorescences, and (typically) three styles. Petioles on many live specimens are a bright, lustrous red, a character state that is less noticeable on herbarium specimens. Stems are usually highly contorted, with relatively short internodes, abundant short shoots, and, often, divaricately branching ultimate branches. Seeds of A. nitens are much larger than congenerics (a sample of 25 averaged 7.3 times heavier than 25 seeds from an average eastern North American Amelanchier).
The authors have observed incomplete herbarium specimens conforming to Amelanchier nitens (1923) morphology from Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, including the type specimen of A. rubescens Greene (1900), which may prove to be the correct name for this species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
OR
WA
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
SW CO Wildflowers
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
