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cotoneaster, Franchet's cotoneaster, orange cotoneaster

cotonéaster à feuilles aiguës, hedge cotoneaster, shiny cotoneaster

Habit Shrubs, 2–3 m. Stems erect, arching, lax, slender; branches distichous, maroon, initially densely pilose-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, often 30–40 mm apart;

petiole 2–4 mm, tomentose-pilose;

blade ovate or elliptic, 22–58 × 12–29 mm, coriaceous, base cuneate or obtuse, margins flat, veins 4 or 5, sunken, apex acute or acuminate, mucronate, abaxial surfaces silvery-tomentose, adaxial grayish green, slightly shiny, not glaucous, flat, rarely slightly bulging between lateral veins, drying slightly rugose, pilose.

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 30–60 mm with 4 leaves, 5–15(–25)-flowered, compact.

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

Pedicels

1–4 mm, densely long-silky hairy.

5–12 mm, sparsely pilose.

Flowers

(5–)7–8(–10) mm, opening small;

hypanthium cupulate, densely long-silky hairy;

sepals: margins villous, borders purple, glabrous, apex cuspidate or acuminate, surfaces silky hairy;

petals erect-incurved, pink or red, base dark pink to dark red, margins off-white;

stamens 16–21, filaments pink, distally white, anthers pink or purplish pink;

styles 2 or 3(or 4).

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

orange-red, obovoid base rounded or obconic base cuneate, straight-sided, 8–12 × 6–9 mm, apex flat, shiny, not glaucous, sparsely pilose;

sepals flat, often asymmetric with 2 sepals longer than others, tomentose;

navel slightly open;

style remnants 3/4 from base.

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(or 4).

2 or 3.

2n

= 68 (Germany).

= 68 (Germany).

Cotoneaster franchetii

Cotoneaster lucidus

Phenology Flowering May–Jul; fruiting Oct–Apr. Flowering Mar–Jul (sometimes reflowering in Sep); fruiting Jul–Oct.
Habitat Edges, thickets, disturbed forests, flood plains, urban waste ground, mossy ledges, wet prairie remnants Deciduous or coniferous forests, ravines, lakeshores, forested dunes, thickets, edges
Elevation 0–700 m (0–2300 ft) 0–2300 m (0–7500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC; Asia (China) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Europe, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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

Reports of Cotoneaster franchetii from Colorado (J. Ells 2006) are here referred to C. lucidus. A few specimens escaped in Washington have red filaments, not pink, but otherwise agree with C. franchetii. Other escapes in Washington suggest the closely related C. wardii W. W. Smith, distinguished by semievergreen habit, longer fertile shoots, more lax and elongate inflorescences, and white anthers. The entire complex needs biosystematic review.

(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. 465. 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. cochleatus, C. conspicuus, C. crispii, C. dammeri, C. dielsianus, C. divaricatus, C. fangianus, 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. acutifolius var. lucidus
Name authority Bois: Rev. Hort. 74: 380, figs. 159–161, 164. (1902) Schlechtendal: Linnaea 27: 541. (1854)
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