Cotoneaster fangianus
Cotoneaster fangianus T.T. Yü, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 8: 219, 1963.
Section Cotoneaster, series Zabelioides.
Origin: China (Hubei).
Presence in western Europe: Naturalized in Great Britain (Stace 2010).
Cultivation in Belgium and the Netherlands: Cotoneaster fangianus is, according to Fryer & Hylmö (2009), common in cultivation in Central Europe and Scandinavia. Yet, it is often neglected in horticultural literature (see for instance Roloff & Bärtels 2006, de Koning & van den Broek 2009) and probably merely included – without a caption – in Cotoneaster zabelii.
Comparative taxonomy: Dickoré & Kasperek (2010) surprisingly reduced Cotoneaster fangianus to synonym of C. dielsianus E. Pritz ex Diels. Both are in fact fairly different and not only belong to different series but even different sections (Fryer & Hylmö 2009). See also below. Lingdi & Brach (2003) accept Cotoneaster fangianus as a good species and correctly oppose it to C. zabelii, obviously its closest relative in cultivation.
Illustrations: Grevtsova (1999), Stace (2010).
Cotoneaster fangianus was first documented in 2001 from coastal dunes in Koksijde (Oostduinkerke). However, in this area it is known since many years already, perhaps since the 1990’s (as C. zabelii; comm. M. Leten). By now it is perfectly and sometimes abundantly naturalized but remains rather local. Its densest populations occur in the dunes of Witte Burg and in the nature reserve Plaatsduinen, both in Oostduinkerke. In 2011 Cotoneaster fangianus was recorded for the first time from an inland locality: a single shrub grows on the brick quay wall of river Leie in the city center of Kortrijk.
Cotoneaster fangianus seems to be confined in Belgium to sunny or half-shady habitats on dry, calcareous soils.
The separation of Cotoneaster fangianus and C. zabelii is rarely straightforward and identification keys in standard floras are often conflicting. Both have very characteristic long-pedicelled, pendent fruits and leaves that are rounded to acute at apex. They are readily distinguished from similar species like Cotoneaster dielsianus (with much shorter pedicelled fruits and abruptly acuminate leaf apex) and native C. integerrimus (with a subglabrous hypanthium). According to Fryer & Hylmö (2009), who studied the type specimens, Cotoneaster zabelii has slightly larger fruits (10-11 mm, versus 8-9 mm long), often at least some with 3 stones (versus 2). In addition leaves are usually slightly longer (32-40 mm, versus 21-35 mm long) and persist longer (deciduous by October in C. fangianus) and petals always seem to be paler in C. zabelii (usually pure white vs. pink in C. fangianus). Lingdi & Brach (2003) seem to have inversed the number of stones per berry for both taxa.
Cotoneaster fangianus is reduced to synonym of C. dielsianus by Dickoré & Kasperek (2010). Although exceedingly variable the latter always has leaves that are acute to acuminate at apex, fruits with usually 4 stones, much shorter pedicels, etc. (see also Yü & Kuan 1963) and is, in fact, a very different species.
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Cotoneaster fangianus |
C. zabelii |
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Fruit 8-9 mm long |
Fruit 10-11 mm long |
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Usually two nutlets per berry |
Usually three nutlets per berry |
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Leaves ca. 21-35 mm long |
Leaves ca. 32-40 mm long |
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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).
Fryer J. & Hylmö B. (2009) Cotoneasters. A comprehensive guide to shrubs for flowers, fruit, and foliage. Timber Press, Portland-London: 344 p.
Grevtsova A. (1999) Atlas Cotoneasters. Cotoneaster (Medic.) Bauhin. Kiev, House Orchard, Truck-Garden: 372 p.
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.
Yü Te-Tsun & Kuan Ke-Chien (1963) Taxa Nova Rosacearum Sinicarum (I)[J].Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica 8(3): 202-234.