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bearberry cotoneaster

dark cotoneaster, dark-fruit cotoneaster

Habit Shrubs, to 0.2 m. Stems carpeting or procumbent, rooting, to 1.5 m, pliant; branches distichous or spiraled, greenish to light brown, densely lenticellate, initially pilose-strigose. Shrubs, 2–2.5 m. Stems loosely erect; branches spiraled, yellow brown to red brown, lenticellate, shiny, initially densely pilose.
Leaves

persistent;

petiole 2–9 mm, villose-strigose;

blade elliptic or obovate, rarely suborbiculate, 13–43 × 6–26 mm, coriaceous, base cuneate or obtuse, margins revolute, veins 5–8, sunken, apex obtuse or acute, rarely retuse, abaxial surfaces grayish green, reticulate, initially villous, adaxial light green to green, intensely shiny, not glaucous, reticulate-rugose, not bulging between lateral veins, often single hairs on midrib.

deciduous;

petiole 4–7 mm, tomentose-villous;

blade elliptic to ovate, 33–45 × 20–32 mm, chartaceous, base rounded, margins flat, veins 5–7, superficial, apex acute or obtuse, abaxial surfaces densely silvery-pilose-villous, adaxial green to dark green, dull to slightly shiny, not glaucous, flat between lateral veins, rugose, sparsely pilose;

fall leaves lacking notable color.

Inflorescences

on fertile shoots 20–40 mm, usually with 4 leaves, (1 or)2 or 3(or 4)-flowered, compact.

on fertile shoots 25–30 mm with 3 or 4 leaves, 5–13-flowered, pendent, lax.

Pedicels

4–15 mm, thin, villose-strigose.

3–8 mm, sometimes sparsely villous.

Flowers

slightly pendent, 10–12 mm diam.;

buds white;

hypanthium cupulate, sparsely pilose-strigose;

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

petals spreading, white, glabrous;

stamens 20, filaments white, anthers purple-black;

styles 4 or 5.

erect, 6–7 mm, open;

hypanthium cupulate, dark reddish brown, glabrous;

sepals: margins erose, apex acute or obtuse, surfaces glabrous, often apically villous;

petals erect, greenish white with pink, red, base slightly darkened, margins white, glabrous;

stamens 20(–22), filaments white, anthers white;

styles 2–4.

Pomes

bright red, obovoid to broadly obovoid, rarely globose, 6–10 × 6–8 mm, shiny, not glaucous, glabrous;

sepals suberect, glabrous;

navel open;

style remnants at apex.

purple-black, obovoid or globose, 7–9 × 7–9 mm, dull, glaucous with blue tinge, glabrous;

sepals suberect, glabrous or apically villous;

navel open;

style remnants 2/3 from base.

Pyrenes

4 or 5.

2–4.

2n

= 34 (Germany).

= 48–52, 68 (Russia).

Cotoneaster dammeri

Cotoneaster melanocarpus

Phenology Flowering May–Jun; fruiting Sep–Apr. Flowering Apr–May; fruiting Jul–Aug.
Habitat Disturbed forests, grassy banks, rock roadcuts, urban waste ground Forested ravines
Elevation 0–200 m (0–700 ft) 300–500 m (1000–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
WA; BC; Asia (China) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Europe]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
MB; Eurasia (Russia, Ukraine) [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cotoneaster melanocarpus is said to hybridize spontaneously with Sorbus aucuparia in Siberia, forming x\Sorbocotoneaster Pojarkova. The actual Cotoneaster parent is more likely to be a diploid and needs investigation.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 459. FNA vol. 9, p. 467.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Cotoneaster Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Cotoneaster
Sibling taxa
C. adpressus, C. atropurpureus, C. cochleatus, C. conspicuus, C. crispii, 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. lucidus, C. magnificus, 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. vulgaris var. melanocarpus
Name authority C. K. Schneider: Ill. Handb. Laubholzk. 1: 761, figs. 429 h–k. (1906) (Ledebour) Loddiges: Fam. Nat. Syn. Monogr. 3: 223. (1847)
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