Amelanchier utahensis
Amelanchier spicata
pale leaf serviceberry, pale serviceberry, Utah service-berry, Utah serviceberry or shadbush
amélanchier en épis, dwarf serviceberry, dwarf shadbush, running serviceberry, thicket 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.
half-unfolded;
petiole (9.5–)11.5–16(–19) mm;
blade oval to orbiculate, (22–)34–45(–61) × (13–)21–33(–52) mm, base subcordate or rounded, each margin (0–)3–9(–14) teeth on proximal 1/2 and (3 or)4–7(–11) teeth in distalmost cm, largest teeth less than 1 mm, apex acute to obtuse and sometimes mucronate, abaxial surface densely (moderately) hairy by flowering, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy later.
(4–)6–10(–13)-flowered, (8–)16–30(–43) mm.
(5 or)6–9(–14)-flowered, (11–)22–37(–52) mm.
(0 or)1 or 2(or 3) subtended by a leaf, proximalmost (2–)7–16(–25) mm.
(0 or)1 subtended by a leaf, proximalmost 7–16(–22) 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 recurved after flowering, (1.7–)2–3(–4.4) mm;
petals linear-oblong, (5.5–)6.5–9(–11) × (2–)2.7–4.4(–6.5) mm;
stamens (10–)20;
styles (4 or)5, (2.2–)3–3.8(–4.6) mm;
ovary apex densely hairy (or glabrous).
purplish black, 6–10 mm diam. 2n = 4x.
purple-black, 7–12 mm diam. 2n = 3x, 4x.
Amelanchier utahensis
Amelanchier spicata
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 spicata is strongly rhizomatous and has finely toothed leaves and a glabrous or densely hairy ovary apex. The species is similar to A. humilis in habit and vestiture of the ovary apices; it differs in leaf teeth, style length, style fusion, and fruit diameter. Amelanchier spicata prefers acidic soil; A. humilis is a calciphile. How A. spicata and A. nantucketensis differ is discussed under the latter.
Amelanchier oblongifolia var. micropetala B. L. Robinson was transferred to A. stolonifera as forma micropetala (B. L. Robinson) Rehder. The type of this name has petals that fall within the size range of those of A. nantucketensis, and the authors consider it a synonym of the latter.
P. M. Catling (2006) analyzed the morphology, including flowers, of Amelanchier lucida and concluded that it is distinct from A. spicata because of its shiny leaves and erect orientation of the sepals at flowering. Amelanchier lucida closely resembles A. spicata in overall habit, leaves, inflorescences, and fruits, and the authors have observed somewhat lustrous leaves in A. spicata. The authors, therefore, include A. lucida in A. spicata.
Informally recognized, Amelanchier "maritima" is a well-studied microspecies restricted to the Atlantic Coast from Massachusetts to mid Maine. This microspecies resembles A. spicata in habit and mature leaf characters and differs significantly with longer inflorescences, more flowers per inflorescences, and longer and wider petals.
M. L. Fernald (1950) and L. Cinq-Mars (1971) reported hybrids between Amelanchier spicata and A. arborea, A. bartramiana, A. intermedia, A. laevis, and A. sanguinea. Plants determined to be apomictic and attributed to this species by C. S. Campbell et al. (1987) were actually A. nantucketensis.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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