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sichuan firethorn

Habit Plants: crowns spreading or partially reclining, 10–60 dm.
Stems

thorns abundant;

young twigs yellowish brown-hairy, glabrescent.

Leaves

stipules 3–7 mm;

petiole 2–6 mm;

blade elliptic, oblong, or oblong-obovate, 1.5–5 × 1–2 cm, base rounded to cuneate, margins entire or remotely serrulate distally (on vigorous shoots), apex obtuse, apiculate, or aristate, surfaces yellowish brown-hairy, glabrescent (abaxial becoming slightly glaucescent).

Inflorescences

3–4 cm diam.

Pedicels

5–10 mm, yellowish brown-hairy.

Flowers

8–10 mm diam.;

hypanthium hairy;

calyx brown- or yellowish brown-puberulent when young, glabrescent, sepals broadly elliptic or triangular, 1–1.5 mm, apex obtuse;

petals ovate, 4–5 mm, apex slightly apiculate.

Pomes

bright red, 4–7 mm diam.;

pedicels 5–12 mm.

Pyracantha atalantioides

Phenology Flowering Feb–May; fruiting Oct–Jan.
Habitat Roadsides, thickets, disturbed ground, edges
Elevation 0–300 m (0–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; FL; GA; LA; Asia (China) [Introduced in North America]
Discussion

Pyracantha atalantioides is native to southeastern and western China. The species has been extensively planted in North America; it is apparently naturalized only sporadically in milder climatic areas of the continent.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 471.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Pyracantha
Sibling taxa
P. angustifolia, P. coccinea, P. crenulata, P. fortuneana, P. koidzumii
Synonyms Sportella atalantioides, P. discolor
Name authority (Hance) Stapf: Bot. Mag. 151: sub plate 9099. (1926)
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