Photinia serratifolia

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Photinia serratifolia

Description

Small trees up to c. 15 m. Leaves oblong to elliptic, 8.5-13.5 by 3.5-5.5 cm, base acute to rounded, margin finely crenate to serrate, entire only at extreme base, apex acute, sometimes acuminate, with up to 14 pairs of secondary nerves, often not distinguishable from stronger tertiary nerves, venation widely reticulate, not prominent, with few hairs on both surfaces when very young, quite glabrous when mature. Stipules awn-shaped, 4.5-5.5 by 1 mm, with ex-centric midrib, early caducous. Inflorescence corymbose to semi-globular in shape, up to c. 8 cm long, with up to 12 first order laterals, these up to 9 cm long and branched again, the lowermost ones in axils of leaves, rachises including the 2.5-4 mm long pedicels glabrous or faintly hairy. Flowers 5-merous, rarely 4-merous. Sepals broadly triangular, 1-1.2 by 1.2-1.8 mm. Petals suborbicular to broadly ovate, 3-4.5 by 3-3.5 mm, white. Stamens 16-20, filaments up to 3 mm, glabrous, anthers 0.5-0.8 mm long. Ovary hairy on the free top, 2-, rarely 3-celled, styles up to 2.5 mm long, free. Fruits subglobular to obovoid with flattened apex, up to c. 5.5 by 6 mm when dry, upper part of hypanthium and sepals closely appressed against top of fruit, exocarp red (to purple?), mesocarp fleshy, endocarp rather hard. Seeds 2-4(-6), ellipsoid, c. 3 mm long, with firm, brown testa, endosperm a thin layer, cotyledons rather flat.

Distribution

Asia-Temperate: Taiwan (Taiwan present), Asia-Tropical: Philippines (Philippines present); Sumatera (Sumatera present), Europe cultivated, Japan present, Luzon present, Mindanao present, S India present
S India, China, Japan, Taiwan; Malesia: Philippines (seen from Luzon and Mindanao) and doubtfully Sumatra. Often cultivated in Europe.

Notes

About the name change, necessitated by Lindley's name being illegitimate, see Kalkman, l.c.
The one specimen from Sumatra (Jacobs 4363) is too poor for reliable identification. The description given only pertains to Philippine collections.

Citation

DC. 1825 – In: Prod.: 631
Steenis 1934 – In: Bull. Jard. Bot. Buitenzorg: 242
Merr. 1923 – In: Enum. Philipp. Flow. Pl.: 226
Lindley 1821 – In: Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond.: 103
i.a. Aiton 1811 – In: Hort. Kew., ed. 2: 202
Blume 1826: Bijdr.: 1103
Miq. 1855 – In: Fl. Ind. Bat.: 388