The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

bullate cotoneaster, puckered-leaf cotoneaster

dark cotoneaster, dark-fruit cotoneaster

Habit Shrubs, 2–5 m. Stems erect, arching; branches distichous or spiraled, maroon to brown, 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

deciduous;

petiole 0–3 mm, pilose-strigose;

blade elliptic, sometimes ovate-elliptic, rarely obovate, (50–)70–124(–210) x (24–)30–55(–90) mm, subcoriaceous, base cuneate, obtuse, truncate, or auriculate, margins flat, not revolute, veins 8–11, deeply sunken, apex long-acuminate, sometimes acute on short shoots, abaxial surfaces light green, initially yellowish strigose, adaxial green, shiny, not glaucous, strongly wrinkled or bulging between lateral veins (bullate), initially sparsely pilose;

fall leaves intense butter yellow and reddish purple.

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 60–120 mm with 4 leaves, 8–32-flowered, lax.

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

Pedicels

2–4 mm, pilose-strigose.

3–8 mm, sometimes sparsely villous.

Flowers

(5–)7–9 mm, closed;

hypanthium shallowly cupulate, shiny, sparsely pilose-strigose;

sepals: margins villous, apex acute, surfaces shiny, glabrous;

petals erect-incurved, pink, red, greenish pink, or maroon, margins pink;

stamens 20–23, filaments pink, white distally, anthers white;

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 to dark red, obovoid, broadly obovoid, or obconic, rarely globose or depressed-globose, 8–12.4 × 7–11.3 mm, shiny, not glaucous, sparsely pilose;

sepals flat, glabrous;

navel closed;

style remnants 3/4 from base.

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

= 48–52, 68 (Russia).

Cotoneaster rehderi

Cotoneaster melanocarpus

Phenology Flowering May–Jun; fruiting Sep–Dec. Flowering Apr–May; fruiting Jul–Aug.
Habitat Thickets, disturbed forests, flood plains, lakeshores Forested ravines
Elevation 0–200 m (0–700 ft) 300–500 m (1000–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; 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

Reports of Cotoneaster bullatus (treated as C. bullatus var. bullatus by L. Lingdi and A. R. Brach 2003) from British Columbia (J. Pojar 1999) are here referred to C. rehderi.

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

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. 464. 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. 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. 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. bullatus var. macrophyllus C. vulgaris var. melanocarpus
Name authority Pojarkova: Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. 17: 184. (1955) (Ledebour) Loddiges: Fam. Nat. Syn. Monogr. 3: 223. (1847)
Web links