Common Cotoneaster

Shrubs deciduous, erect, to 2 m tall, much branched, with broad spreading crown. Branchlets brown or grayish brown, terete, initially densely gray tomentose, soon glabrescent. Petiole 2–5 mm, tomentose; stipules mostly persistent at fruiting, lanceolate, puberulous; leaf blade broadly elliptic, broadly ovate, or suborbicular, 2–5 × (0.5–)1.3–2.5(–3) cm, veins raised abaxially and impressed adaxially, abaxially densely gray tomentose, adaxially glabrous or sparsely pubescent, base rounded, apex acute or obtuse, usually mucronate. Corymbs or 1.5–2.5 cm, 2–5(–7)-flowered; rachis and pedicels glabrous or puberulous; bracts lanceolate, puberulous. Pedicel 3–6 mm. Flowers ca. 8 mm in diam. Hypanthium campanulate, glabrous or puberulous abaxially. Sepals triangular-ovate, 1–1.5 × 1–2 mm, apex obtuse. Petals erect, pink, suborbicular, ca. 3 mm in diam., base clawed, apex obtuse. Stamens 15–20, nearly as long as petals. Ovary pilose apically; styles 2, rarely 3, free, not exceeding stamens. Fruit red or dark red, subglobose, rarely ovoid, 6–7(–8) mm in diam., glabrous, pyrenes usually 2, rarely 3 or 4. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Aug–Sep. 2n = 68.

Hebei, Heilongjiang, Nei Mongol, Qinghai, Xinjiang [Korea, Russia; N Asia, Europe].

Rocky slopes, forests; below 2500 m.

Cotoneaster vulgaris Lindley; Mespilus cotoneaster Linnaeus; Ostinia cotoneaster (Linnaeus) Clairville.