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necklace cotoneaster, winter-green cotoneaster

Habit Shrubs, 0.5–1[–2.5] m. Stems weakly ascending or mound-forming [prostrate]; branches spiraled or distichous, dense, maroon, initially strigose. Shrubs or trees, sometimes subshrubs or herbs.
Leaves

persistent;

petiole 1–3 mm, pilose-strigose;

blade elliptic to narrowly elliptic, rarely lanceolate, 6–12(–20) x 2–6(–8) mm, subcoriaceous or coriaceous, base cuneate, margins revolute, veins 3–5, superficial, apex obtuse or acute, abaxial surfaces grayish green, reticulate, initially pilose-strigose, adaxial grayish green [rarely green], dull to slightly shiny, coating not recorded, slightly rugose, sparsely pilose or glabrous.

alternate, sometimes opposite, simple, sometimes pinnately compound;

stipules present or absent.

Inflorescences

on fertile shoots 8–12 mm with 3 or 4 leaves, 1-flowered, 2–4-flowered on shoot tips.

Pedicels

1–3 mm, pilose-strigose.

Flowers

9–13 mm diam.;

buds pink;

hypanthium cupulate, pilose-strigose;

sepals: margins villous, borders mostly reddish, membranous, apex acute or obtuse, surfaces pilose-strigose;

petals spreading, white;

stamens 17–21, filaments white, anthers purple-black;

styles 2(or 3).

torus absent or minute;

carpels 1–5(–8), distinct or +/- connate (Maleae), free or +/- adnate to hypanthium (many Maleae), styles distinct or +/- connate (some Maleae);

ovules (1 or)2(–5+), collateral, clustered, or biseriate.

Fruits

follicles aggregated or not, capsules, drupes aggregated or not, aggregated drupelets, pomes, or aggregated nutlets, rarely achenes or aggregated achenes;

styles persistent or deciduous, not elongate (elongate in Gillenieae).

Pomes

orange-red to red, depressed-globose, 8–10 × 9–11 mm, shiny, not glaucous, glabrous;

sepals suberect, pilose;

navel not recorded;

style remnants at elongated apex.

Pyrenes

2(or 3).

x

= 8, 9, 15, 17.

2n

= 34 (Germany).

Cotoneaster conspicuus

Rosaceae subfam. amygdaloideae

Phenology Flowering Apr–May; fruiting Oct–May.
Habitat Brushy edges in urban areas
Elevation 0–50 m (0–200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
WA; Asia (China) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Europe]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
HI; North America; Mexico; Central America; South America; Europe; Asia; Africa; Atlantic Islands (Madeira); Australia
Discussion

G. Klotz (1963) emended the diagnosis of Cotoneaster conspicuus to recognize erect plants as var. conspicuus and more decumbent plants as var. decorus. This variation in habit is not significant taxonomically and not unusual for an outcrossing diploid, so the emended description by Klotz of the species is superfluous.

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

Cyanogenic glycosides are usually present in Amygdaloideae; sorbitol is present.

The name Amygdaloideae Arnott (1832) has priority over Spiraeoideae Arnott (1832), used by D. Potter et al. (2007), because Amygdalaceae (1820) is an earlier conserved name.

Tribes 9, genera 55, species ca. 1300 (9 tribes, 38 genera, 361 species, including 20 hybrids, in the flora)

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 457. FNA vol. 9, p. 345. Author: Luc Brouillet.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Cotoneaster Rosaceae
Sibling taxa
C. adpressus, C. atropurpureus, C. cochleatus, 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
Subordinate taxa
Synonyms C. microphyllus var. conspicuus, C. conspicuus var. decorus, C. conspicuus var. nanus, C. nanus, C. permutatus
Name authority (Messel) Messel: J. Roy. Hort. Soc. 59: 303. (1934) Arnott: Botany, 107. (1832)
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