Pyrus serrulata
Rosaceae subfam. amygdaloideae
serrulate pear
purplish brown or dark brown, brown-tomentose when young, glabrescent;
thorns not recorded.
petiole 3.5–7.5 cm, brown-tomentose when young;
blade ovate or narrowly ovate, 5–11 × 3.5–7.5 cm, base rounded or broadly cuneate, margins serrulate, apex acuminate, surfaces glabrous or brown-tomentose when young.
alternate, sometimes opposite, simple, sometimes pinnately compound;
stipules present or absent.
3–5 cm, pubescent when young.
20–30 mm diam.;
sepals triangular-ovate, 3 mm, apex acute or acuminate;
petals white, broadly ovate, 10–12 mm;
ovaries 3(–4)-locular;
styles 3(or 4).
torus absent or minute;
carpels 1–5(–8), distinct or +/- connate (Maleae), free or +/- adnate to hypanthium (many Maleae), styles distinct or +/- connate (some Maleae);
ovules (1 or)2(–5+), collateral, clustered, or biseriate.
follicles aggregated or not, capsules, drupes aggregated or not, aggregated drupelets, pomes, or aggregated nutlets, rarely achenes or aggregated achenes;
styles persistent or deciduous, not elongate (elongate in Gillenieae).
dark brown, subglobose or obovoid, 15–22 mm diam.;
sepals mostly persistent.
= 8, 9, 15, 17.
= 34.
Pyrus serrulata
Rosaceae subfam. amygdaloideae
The tree nursery industry has associated the common name "red spire" with this species but that name is frequently applied also to Pyrus calleryana. Because it is sometimes referred to simply as "serrulata," the name "serrulate pear" seems appropriate. Pyrus serrulata has been considered a hybrid, P. calleryana × P. pyrifolia, but recent taxonomic work has accorded it specific rank. The only report of this species as an escape in North America is based on a fruiting specimen collected in Howell County, Missouri. Potential hybrids involving P. calleryana may resemble this species.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Cyanogenic glycosides are usually present in Amygdaloideae; sorbitol is present.
The name Amygdaloideae Arnott (1832) has priority over Spiraeoideae Arnott (1832), used by D. Potter et al. (2007), because Amygdalaceae (1820) is an earlier conserved name.
Tribes 9, genera 55, species ca. 1300 (9 tribes, 38 genera, 361 species, including 20 hybrids, in the flora)
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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