Cotoneaster lucidus Schlechtendal, Linnaea 27: 541, 1854.
Synonym: C. acutifolius Turcz. var. lucidus (Schlechtendal) L.T. Lu
Section Acutifolii, series Acutifolii
Origin: Russia (Siberia) and Mongolia.
Presence in western Europe: Naturalized in scattered places in the British Isles (Stace 2010). Also known from Austria, Germany, Poland and Scandinavia (Dickoré & Kasperek 2010). At least in Germany and Scandinavia naturalized or even invasive (Hylmö 1993, John & Frank 2008).
Cultivation in Belgium and the Netherlands: “Common” (De Koning & van den Broek 2009). Despite being very hardy (Fryer & Hylmö 2009) apparently more rarely cultivated in Central-Europe (Roloff & Bärtels 2006).
Comparative taxonomy: Species synonymized by Dickoré & Kasperek (2010) with Cotoneaster acutifolius Turcz., along with some other species from series Acutifolii. Other German authors previously accepted it as a good species (see Klotz 1957; Roloff & Bärtels 2006). Lingdi & Brach (2003) accept Cotoneaster lucidus (and related species like C. villosulus) as varieties of C. acutifolius.
Illustrations: Hylmö (1993), Grevtsova (1999), Roloff & Bärtels (2006), John & Frank (2008), De Koning & van den Broek (2009), Fryer & Hylmö (2009), Stace (2010).
At present Cotoneaster lucidus is only known in Belgium from two locations, both discovered in 2011. A single shrub grows on the verge of a semi-natural pond near Antwerpen (Galgenweel). Scattered individuals are found in coastal woodland near De Haan. In the latter locality Cotoneaster lucidus may be more or less naturalized. Cotoneaster lucidus is one of the few large-leaved species with purplish-black berries that have been recorded in the wild in Belgium so far. It is readily distinguished from Cotoneaster moupinensis (also known from De Haan; see under that species) by the number of stones per berry: these are 5 (or 4) in number in C. moupinensis and 2 or 3 in number in C. lucidus. Moreover, in Cotoneaster moupinensis veins usually are more prominently impressed on the upper leaf surface and inflorescences bear more flowers. Separation from Cotoneaster ambiguus and C. villosulus is less straightforward. However, Cotoneaster villosulus always is much more hairy in all its parts (especially leaves and hypanthium) and it has a few-flowered inflorescence (usually with at most 5 flowers). Cotoneaster ambiguus and C. lucidus are much alike and not easily separated. Both are merged under a single, variable species (Cotoneaster acutifolius) by some authors (Dickoré & Kasperek 2010; see above). For their distinction, see key. Main distinguishing features are opposed in the table below.
|
C. ambiguus |
C. lucidus |
|
Corolla closed or with small opening (petals erect-incurved) |
Corolla with large opening (petals erect) |
|
Leaves slightly shiny above, usually less than 30 mm wide, with 6-8 veins |
Leaves very intensely shiny above, usually more than 30 mm wide, with 3-5 veins |
Literature
De Koning J. & van Den Broek (2009) Nederlandse Dendrologie (14th ed.). K.N.N.V.: 547 p.
Dickoré W.B. & Kasperek G. (2010) Species of Cotoneaster (Rosaceae, Maloideae) indigenous to, naturalising or commonly cultivated in Central Europe. Willdenowia 40: 13-45 [available online at: http://user.uni-frankfurt.de/~kasperek/papers/dickore_kasperek_2010.pdf].
Grevtsova A.T. (1999) Atlas Cotoneasters. Cotoneaster (Medic.) Bauhin. Kiev, House Orchard, Truck-Garden: 372 p.
Hylmö B. (1993) Oxbär, Cotoneaster i Sverige. Svensk Bot. Tidskr. 87: 305-330.
John H. & Frank D. (2008) Verwilderte Cotoneaster-Arten in Halle (Saale) und Umgebung. Mitt. Florist. Kart. Sachsen-Anhalt 13: 3-28 [available online at: http://bv-st.de/images/Flo-Kart_2008_003-028_John_Frank.pdf ].
Klotz G. (1957) Übersicht über die in Kultur befindlichen Cotoneaster-Arten. Wiss. Z. Univ. Halle, Math.-Nat. 6(6): 945-982.
Lingdi L. & Brach A.R. (2003) Cotoneaster. In: Wu Z.Y. & Raven P.H. (eds.), Flora of China, vol. 9. Science Press, Beijing & Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis: 85-108 [available online at:http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/PDF/PDF09/Cotoneaster.PDF].
Roloff A. & Bärtels A. (2006) Flora der Gehölze (2e Auflage). Ulmer, Stuttgart: 844 p.
Stace C. (2010) New Flora of the British Isles, 3th ed.: XXXII + 1232 p. Cambridge University Press.