Cotoneaster lacteus
Content
Description
Shrubs or trees up to 7 m.
Leaves elliptic, 5-6 by 2.5-4 cm, base acute, margin entire, apex rounded and mucronate, coriaceous, with 6-8 pairs of nerves, not terminating in the margin, when young sparsely hairy above and densely short-woolly below, when mature sparsely hairy to glabrous.
Stipules narrowly triangular, c. 6 by 0.7 mm, hairy outside.
Inflorescence a terminal, umbel-shaped, compound raceme, the lower 1 to 3 branches in the axils of (reduced) leaves, c. 2.5 cm high, 5 cm wide, rachises densely hairy in anthesis and still hairy in fruit, pedicels up to 4 mm long, densely hairy.
Petals orbicular, spreading in anthesis, white.
Stamens c. 20.
Fruits obovoid, c. 6 by 5 mm when dry(8 by 6 mm when living), when developing the free rim of hypanthium and sepals closing around the top, with 2 stones protruding at the top when ripe, reddish.
Distribution
Chimbu Province present, Gembogl Subprovince present, Goroka present, Papua New Guinea present
Three specimens collected by J. Sterly in the Gembogl Subprovince, Papua New Guinea, said to be introduced there from Goroka, also in Chimbu Province. Cultivated in these places as an ornamental, but also running wild.
Notes
In this predominantly apogamous genus which, moreover, contains a large number of cultivars, species delimitation is difficult. I am by no means certain that the identification of the three specimens available is correct, but it did not seem useful to me to pursue the matter further.
, reported the presence in 1989 of Cotoneaster glaucophyllus on Mt Wilhelm, Papua New Guinea, as planted and growing well. I did not see a specimen from that locality but the same species may be involved as in the other places.
, reported the presence in 1989 of Cotoneaster glaucophyllus on Mt Wilhelm, Papua New Guinea, as planted and growing well. I did not see a specimen from that locality but the same species may be involved as in the other places.