Pyrus cordata
Pyrus pyrifolia
Plymouth pear
Chinese pear
mostly purplish brown or dark reddish brown, glabrous;
thorns present at end of twigs.
purplish brown or dark brown, tawny villous or tomentose when young, glabrescent;
thorns usually absent.
petiole 2–5 cm, glabrous when young;
blade ovate, ovate-lanceolate, or suborbiculate, 2–5.5 × 1.5–3.5 cm, base usually cordate, sometimes broadly rounded, margins crenate-dentate or serrulate, eciliate or sparsely ciliate when young, apex acute or shortly acuminate, surfaces glabrous.
petiole 3–4.5 cm, tomentose when young;
blade ovate or ovate-elliptic, 7–12 × 4–6.5 cm, base rounded or subcordate, margins spinulose-serrate, apex acute, surfaces glabrous or brown-lanate when young.
2–3.5 cm, pubescent or glabrate.
3.5–5 cm, pubescent when young.
20–25 mm diam.;
sepals triangular-lanceolate, 2–3(–5.5) × 1–1.5 mm, apex acuminate;
petals white or creamy, ovate-elliptic or obovate, 6–12 × 5–7 mm;
ovaries 5-locular;
styles (3–)5.
25–35 mm diam.;
sepals triangular-ovate, 5 mm, apex acuminate;
petals white, ovate, 15–17 mm;
ovaries 5-locular;
styles 5.
red or reddish brown or reddish green, densely pale dotted, usually globose, sometimes subglobose, 8–15(–20) × 8–15 mm;
sepals deciduous, sometimes persistent.
brownish with pale dots, subglobose, 20–25 mm diam.;
sepals deciduous.
= 34.
= 34.
Pyrus cordata
Pyrus pyrifolia
Occasional plants that are considered possible hybrids involving either Pyrus calleryana or P. communis may actually belong here; in most cases, sufficient information is lacking to identify them with certainty. Report of this taxon for Michigan is based on both flowering and fruiting material from the same stand and on extensive notes and photographs.
The concept used here for Pyrus cordata is based largely on J. J. Aldasoro et al. (1996), who distinguished it from P. communis by its narrower fruit pedicels, 0.8–1.6 mm diameter versus 1.5–2.8 mm diam.; the authors have observed much variation in pedicel diameter in wild plants referable to P. communis, in which the pedicels of dry specimens are often less than 1.5 mm diam. Among the species occurring in Europe and North Africa, P. cordata is considered to be quite distinctive (Aldasoro et al.; J. S. Challice and M. N. Westwood 1973). The flowers are reported to have a particularly unpleasant odor.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
The type collection of the species is from Japan, but the plant is doubtfully native there.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
MI Flora
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
IL Wildflowers
USDA Plants Database
