Hjelmqvist’s cotoneaster

Shrubs, 0.5–1 m. Stems ascending to erect, spreading horizontally, arching; branches usually distichous, brownish red, initially densely strigose. Leaves deciduous; petiole 2–4 mm, pilose; blade broadly elliptic, on vigorous shoots orbiculate, sometimes broadly obovate, ˂concave˃, 10–18(–25) x 9–15(–25) mm, chartaceous, base obtuse, margins flat, veins 3 or 4(or 5), superficial or slightly sunken, apex obtuse, mucronulate, abaxial surfaces pale green, yellowish pilose-strigose, adaxial vivid light green, shiny, not glaucous, flat between lateral veins, glabrous; ˂fall leaves red to intense red-purple˃. Inflorescences on fertile shoots 5–25 mm with 3 or 4 leaves, 1–3(or 4)-flowered, compact. Pedicels 0.5–2(–3) mm, glabrescent. Flowers 5–6 mm, open; hypanthium cupulate, glabrescent; sepals: margins villous, apex ˂green and reddish purple˃, acuminate or acute, surfaces glabrous; petals erect-incurved, dark pink, base red, margins pink; stamens 10–12(–16), filaments red and pale crimson, anthers white; styles 2 or 3. Pomes orange-red, usually broadly obovoid, sometimes subglobose or obovoid, 5.7–6.8[–8] x 4.9–7.2[–8] mm, shiny, not glaucous, glabrous; sepals suberect, ˂margins villous˃, glabrous; navel open; style remnants 4/5 from base. Pyrenes 2 or 3, ˂distinct˃.

Flowering May; fruiting Oct–Nov. Thickets, wet prairie remnants; 0–200 m; introduced; Oreg.; Asia (China); introduced also in Europe.

Cotoneaster hjelmqvistii was overlooked in the Flora of China (L. Lingdi and A. R. Brach 2003).