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Yunnan cotoneaster

cotonéaster à feuilles aiguës, hedge cotoneaster, shiny cotoneaster

Habit Shrubs, to 0.4 m. Stems prostrate or nearly so, carpeting, rooting; branches spiraled and distichous, dense, red to purple-black, slender, initially yellow-green strigose. Shrubs, 1.5–2.5 m. Stems erect, arching, or spreading; branches spiraled or distichous, dense, greenish gray to maroon, not lenticellate, initially strigose.
Leaves

persistent;

petiole 1–4 mm, strigose;

blade obovate to broadly obovate, rarely suborbiculate, 5–14 × 3–9 mm, coriaceous, base obtuse or broadly cuneate, margins slightly revolute, veins 2 or 3, superficial, apex obtuse, sometimes emarginate, abaxial surfaces grayish, reticulate, initially densely strigose-villous, adaxial dark green, shiny, not glaucous, sometimes lightly rugose, glabrescent.

deciduous;

petiole 4–8 mm, strigose;

blade elliptic or ovate, sometimes obovate, 28–50(–65) x 17–32(–40) mm, chartaceous, base cuneate or rounded, margins flat, not revolute, veins 3–5, sunken, apex short-acuminate or acute, abaxial surfaces green, sparsely pilose-strigose, adaxial dark green, intensely shiny, not glaucous, flat or scarcely bulging between lateral veins, slightly rugose, initially sparsely strigose;

fall leaves intense dark red, yellow, or orange.

Inflorescences

on fertile shoots 8–15 mm, usually with 4 leaves, 1(–3)-flowered.

on fertile shoots 25–50 mm with 4 or 5 leaves, 2–6(–15)-flowered, lax.

Pedicels

3–5 mm, strigose.

5–12 mm, sparsely pilose.

Flowers

7–10 mm diam.;

buds pinkish;

hypanthium cupulate, strigose or pilose-strigose;

sepals: margins villous, apex obtuse or acute, surfaces initially sparsely pilose-strigose;

petals spreading, white, glabrous;

stamens (15–)20, filaments white, anthers dark purple;

styles 2(or 3).

5.5–8 mm, largely open;

hypanthium cupulate, base sparsely pilose, glabrescent;

sepals: margins villous, apex acute or acuminate, surfaces glabrous;

petals erect, pinkish white, sometimes green-tinged, base dark pink or reddish;

stamens 18–20, filaments pink, base dark pink, anthers white;

styles 2 or 3.

Pomes

bright red to crimson, subglobose, 7–9 × 8–10 mm, slightly shiny, not glaucous, sparsely pilose;

sepals suberect, sparsely strigose;

navel slightly open;

style remnants at apex on small projection.

black, broadly obovoid to obovoid, rarely ellipsoid or globose, (8–)9.5–12.1 x (7.5–)8.7–11.8 mm, shiny, glaucous, sparsely pilose;

sepals flat, margins villous, sparsely pilose;

navel open;

style remnants 2/3 from base.

Pyrenes

2(or 3).

2 or 3.

2n

= 68 (Germany).

= 68 (Germany).

Cotoneaster cochleatus

Cotoneaster lucidus

Phenology Flowering May–Jun; fruiting Sep–Nov. Flowering Mar–Jul (sometimes reflowering in Sep); fruiting Jul–Oct.
Habitat Forest edges Deciduous or coniferous forests, ravines, lakeshores, forested dunes, thickets, edges
Elevation 0–50 m (0–200 ft) 0–2300 m (0–7500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NY; Asia (China) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Europe]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; ID; IN; MN; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; ON; QC; SK; Asia (Mongolia, Siberian Russia) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Europe]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cotoneaster cochleatus was treated as a variety of C. microphyllus by L. Lingdi and A. R. Brach (2003); here the two are distinguished at species rank, following H. Nybom et al. (2005). Plants of C. microphyllus have a suberect habit, usually elliptic leaves (rarely broadly obovate) with acute apices, and pomes 6 mm wide; C. cochleatus is always prostrate and has usually obovate leaves (rarely suborbiculate) with blunt apices, and pomes 8–10 mm wide.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Leaf glossiness is often retained on herbarium specimens and is visible with strong lighting and magnification.

Plants of Cotoneaster acutifolius of China and Mongolia are seldom seen in cultivation. Reports of it naturalized in North America are here referred to the commonly cultivated C. lucidus, which tolerates continental winters. No specimens have been seen to support reports of the latter from Montana and Oregon. Some reports of C. melanocarpus from Alberta and Manitoba (H. J. Scoggan 1978–1979, part 3) are here referred to C. lucidus.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 459. FNA vol. 9, p. 463.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Cotoneaster Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Cotoneaster
Sibling taxa
C. adpressus, C. atropurpureus, C. conspicuus, C. crispii, C. dammeri, C. dielsianus, C. divaricatus, C. fangianus, C. franchetii, C. frigidus, C. gamblei, C. hjelmqvistii, C. hodjingensis, C. horizontalis, C. integrifolius, C. lacteus, C. lucidus, C. magnificus, C. melanocarpus, C. miniatus, C. monopyrenus, C. nitens, C. pannosus, C. qungbixiensis, C. rehderi, C. salicifolius, C. simonsii, C. sternianus, C. tengyuehensis, C. transens, C. vestitus, C. villosulus, C. ×suecicus
C. adpressus, C. atropurpureus, C. cochleatus, C. conspicuus, C. crispii, C. dammeri, C. dielsianus, C. divaricatus, C. fangianus, C. franchetii, C. frigidus, C. gamblei, C. hjelmqvistii, C. hodjingensis, C. horizontalis, C. integrifolius, C. lacteus, C. magnificus, C. melanocarpus, C. miniatus, C. monopyrenus, C. nitens, C. pannosus, C. qungbixiensis, C. rehderi, C. salicifolius, C. simonsii, C. sternianus, C. tengyuehensis, C. transens, C. vestitus, C. villosulus, C. ×suecicus
Synonyms C. buxifolius, C. microphyllus var. cochleatus, C. thymifolius var. cochleatus C. acutifolius var. lucidus
Name authority (Franchet) G. Klotz: Wiss. Z. Martin-Luther-Univ. Halle-Wittenberg, Math.-Naturwiss. Reihe 6: 952. (1957) Schlechtendal: Linnaea 27: 541. (1854)
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