Cotoneaster simonsii Baker, Refug. Bot. [Saunders] 1: t 55, 1869.
Section Adpressi, Series Distichi
Origin: Bhutan, northern India, Myanmar and Nepal.
Presence in western Europe: Naturalized in Great Britain (Stace 2010). In Scotland Cotoneaster simonsii is the most common species in the wild (Macpherson & Lindsay 1996). Claims for Germany proved to be in error for Cotoneaster divaricatus (Dickoré & Kasperek 2010). Cotoneaster simonsii at most withstands moderately cold winters (Fryer & Hylmö 2009); this probably explains its absence in the wild in Central Europe (Dickoré & Kasperek l.c.), although it is known by now from Scandinavia (Karlsson 2002).
Cultivation in Belgium and the Netherlands: “common” (De Koning & al. 2000).
Comparative taxonomy: Species accepted by Dickoré & Kasperek (2010), absent from China (Lingdi & Brach 2003).
Nomenclature: According to Marwat (2004) and Dickoré & Kasperek (2010), following Kumar & Panigrahi (1992), the correct name for this species is Cotoneaster symondsii (Standish ex) Th. Moore, an earlier and validly published name. However, the protologue of the latter indicates that this species is evergreen with leaves that resemble those of C. buxifolius Wallich ex Lindley, a very different, small-leaved species. It is rather unlikely that both are indeed synonyms. Pending clarification, the widely applied binomial Cotoneaster simonsii is retained here (see also Fryer & Hylmö 2009). Fryer & Zika (2014) concluded that C. symondsii indeed is a different species and placed it in the synonymy of C. marginatus Lindl. ex Loudon. Another orthographic variant, Cotoneaster symonsii Loudon ex Koehne (nom. inval.), is a synonym of C. horizontalis var. horizontalis. Cotoneaster simonsii is remarkably omitted from the Plantlist (www.theplantlist.org).
Illustrations: Thompson (1986), Macpherson & Lindsay (1993), Grevtsova (1999), De Koning & al. (2000), Stace (2010). See also: http://www.british-wild-flowers.co.uk/C-Flowers/Cotoneaster,%20Himalayan.htm.
Cotoneaster simonsii was probably first collected in the wild in Belgium on a calcareous slope in Buzenol (Cron de Montauban) in 1959. It is now widely found in coastal dunes, especially between De Panne and Nieuwpoort, where it occurs in several nature reserves (for instance Kerkepanneduinen, Noordduinen, Plaatsduinen, etc.; furthermore also in Hoge Blekker and Witte Burg). It rarely forms dense stands and mostly occurs as single (or at most scattered) bushes. Cotoneaster simonsii is most abundantly naturalized on an abandoned railway yard in Antwerpen (Zuid). It furthermore occurs in quite a lot and very widely scattered localities in Belgium but mostly in small number, for instance in Brugge, Comines-Warneton, Egem, Gent, Hemiksem, Mouscron, etc.
Cotoneaster simonsii grows in full sun or, more often, in half shade. It grows on calcareous (coastal dunes) as well as on slightly acidic soils (for instance Tillegembos near Brugge or Loveld near Aalter) that are mostly rather dry. In Belgium it is predominantly found on abandoned railway yards or by railway tracks and in coastal dunes. It has also been recorded in deciduous woodland, on the verge of clay pits and on old walls. In some parts of the British Isles (for instance in Dorset or Berkshire) Cotoneaster simonsii behaves like an invasive environmental weed in heaths (Bowen 2000, Crawley 2005).
The general habit of Cotoneaster simonsii is very characteristic: its branches are held stiffly erect, a feature that is absent in the other regular escapes from cultivation. It has most often been confused with Cotoneaster divaricatus. Both are opposed in the following table:
 |
 |
 |
|
Cotoneaster simonsii |
C. divaricatus |
|
Branches stiffly erect (very typical!) |
Branches spreading |
|
Fruit obovoid, bright orange to orange red |
Fruit cylindrical, dark red to ruby red |
|
Leaves chartaceous to (more often) subcoriaceous, 19-33 mm long, rather densely strigose initially |
Leaves chartaceous, 10-30 mm long, rather sparsely strigose initially |
|
Nutlets usually 3 (rarely 2 or 4) per berry |
Nutlets usually 2 per berry |
Literature
Bowen H. (2000) The flora of Dorset. Information Press, Oxford: VIII + 371 p.
Crawley M.J. (2005) The flora of Berkshire. Brambleby Books, Harpenden: XV + 374 p.
De Koning J., Van Den Broek J.W., Van De Laar H.J. & Fortgens G. (2000) Nederlandse Dendrologie (13e druk, geheel herzien). Veenman & Zonen, Ede: 585 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).
Fryer J. & Hylmö B. (2009) Cotoneasters. A comprehensive guide to shrubs for flowers, fruit, and foliage. Timber Press, Portland-London: 344 p.
Fryer J. & Zika P. (2014) The typification of Cotoneaster symondsii (Rosaceae). Phytotaxa 164(2): 149-153. [available online at: http://biotaxa.org/Phytotaxa/article/view/phytotaxa.164.2.9/7700]
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.
Karlsson T. (2002) Nyheter i den svenska kärlväxtfloran II. Korsblommiga–flockblommiga. Svensk Botanisk Tidskrift 96: 186-206. [available online at: http://sbf.c.se/www/pdf/96(3-4)/Karlsson.pdf]
Kumar A. & Panigrahi G. (1992) Nomenclatural notes on Cotoneaster symondsii Th. Moore (Rosaceae). Bull. Bot. Surv. India 31: 168-170.
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].
Macpherson P. & Lindsay E.L.S. (1993) Cotoneasters in the Glasgow Section of V.C. 77. Glasg. Nat. 22(2): 111-114.
Macpherson P. & Lindsay E.L.S. (1996) Cotoneasters continued. Glasg. Nat. 23(1): 11-13.
Marwat Q. (2004) Taxonomic studies of the genus Cotoneaster Ruppert ex Medikus of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir. PhD Thesis, Dept. Biol. Sc. Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad [available online at: http://eprints.hec.gov.pk/2391/1/2246.htm].
Stace C. (2010) New Flora of the British Isles, 3th ed.: XXXII + 1232 p. Cambridge University Press.
Thompson H. (1986) Cotoneaster simonsii. BSBI News 44 (cover illustration).