Few-flowered or Kokonor cotoneaster

Shrubs, 1.5–3 m. Stems erect, becoming pendulous; branches divaricate, red-brown, initially strigose. Leaves deciduous; petiole 2–3(–4) mm, pilose-strigose; blade elliptic or obovate, sometimes broadly elliptic, broadly ovate, or suborbiculate, 8–28 x 9–23 mm, chartaceous, base rounded, margins flat, veins 3–5, superficial, apex obtuse or acute and mucronulate, abaxial surfaces pale green, initially densely pilose-strigose, adaxial initially reddish, soon bright green, dull to slightly shiny, not glaucous, flat between lateral veins, glabrous; ˂fall leaves turning bright red and gold˃. Inflorescences on fertile shoots 15–30 mm with 3–4(–5) leaves, 1–3(or 4)-flowered, compact. Pedicels 2–4 mm, glabrescent. Flowers 6–7 mm, open; hypanthium widely cupulate, sparsely pilose; sepals: margins tomentose, apex obtuse, acute, or apiculate, surfaces sparsely pilose; petals erect-incurved, pink-tinged with purple-maroon or pink-red, base drying to purple-black, margins white, glabrous; stamens 10–14(or 15), filaments pink, sometimes red-purple, distally dark pink, anthers pink or white, ˂margins pale crimson, drying to dark red˃; styles 2(or 3). Pomes purple-black, ellipsoid or obovoid to globose, (7–)8–9.5 x 6.5–8 mm, shiny, slightly glaucous, sparsely pilose to glabrate; sepals erect or suberect, sparsely pilose; navel open; style remnants 3/4 from base. Pyrenes 2(or 3). 2n = 68 (Germany).

Flowering Mar–May; fruiting Jul–Nov. Thickets, edges, disturbed forests; 0–200 m; introduced; Oreg., Wash.; Asia (China); introduced also in Europe.