Cotoneaster hjelmqvistii 海姆維斯蒂栒子

Common name: Hjelmqvist's Cotoneaster
Scientific name: Cotoneaster hjelmqvistii 海姆維斯蒂栒子*
Genus: Cotoneaster 栒子屬
Family: Rosaceae 薔薇科, rose family

Origin: Neophyte (established after 1500 AD). It is a native of western China (Gansu 甘肅省). It has been cultivated since around 1954 and was recorded from the wild in 1981. 

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Remarks*:
1/ Cotoneaster hjelmqvistii is an unresolved name (it is not yet possible to assign a status of either 'accepted' or 'synonym') in 'The Plant List' .

2/ Cotoneaster hjelmqvistii is a native of western China (Gansu) in 'Welcome to Plant Atlas 2020'.

3/ The native range of Cotoneaster hjelmqvistii is China (Gansu) in 'Royal Botanical Gardens Kew - Plants of the World Online'.

4/ Cotoneaster hjelmqvistii is a synonym of Cotoneaster apiculatus in 'Species of Cotoneaster (Rosaceae, Maloideae) indigenous to, naturalising or commonly cultivated in Central Europe'.

5/ There is no entry of Cotoneaster hjelmqvistii, but there is Cotoneaster apiculatus 細尖栒子 in 'Flora of China - eFloras.org' 

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6/ There are around 100 Cotoneaster spp. have been reported at large in UK. And Cotoneaster hjelmqvistii was much confused and misidentified in cultivation in the past and often sold as Cotoneaster horizontalis 'Robustus' or as C. rotundifolius. in 'Flora of East Anglia - An Identification Guide '

7/ The keys to Cotoneaster apiculatus 細尖栒子 and C. horizontalis 平枝栒子 and C. rotundifolius 圓葉栒子 in  'Flora of China - eFloras.org' are as follows:

a. Petals white, spreading; fruit red, with 2 or 3(–5) pyrenes; prostrate or low evergreen shrub. - C. rotundifolius 圓葉栒子

b. Petals red, rarely pink, erect; fruit red, rarely purplish black, with (1 or)2 or 3(or 4) pyrenes; spreading or erect, deciduous or semievergreen shrub. --
i. Hypanthium abaxially glabrous; erect shrub. -- C. apiculatus 細尖栒子

ii. Hypanthium abaxially pubescent; prostrate or erect shrub. -- C. horizontalis 平枝栒子

8/ From 'Manual of the Alien Plants of Belgium', Cotoneaster hjelmqvistii looks like a robust form of C. horizontalis and it is frequently sold as cv ‘Robusta’ of the latter (De Koning & al. 2000, Fryer & Hylmö 2009; see also Flinck & Hylmö 1991). However, they are easily told apart: the former is usually taller, often with more erect, arching and flexuous branches with branchlets much less densely set (hence a less distinct herringbone pattern) and its leaves are always larger, almost orbicular, more papery, early turning reddish and dropping in autumn (by mid-October). These and some additional useful features are summarized beneath:

a.  Leaves almost orbicular, 13-25 x 10-25 mm, obtuse with mucronate apex, chartaceous (papery) and early turning reddish and dropping (by mid-October). Taller plant, often with more erect, arching and flexuous branches with branchlets not densely set (herringbone pattern not very distinct). Hypanthium soon becoming glabrous (glabrescent) -- C. hjelmqvistii

b. Leaves smaller, 5-12 x 5-9 mm, shortly acuminate to acute at apex, rather coriaceous (leathery) and not dropped before winter. Smaller, decumbent-ascending plant with branchlets very closely set (very distinct herringbone pattern). Hypanthium sparsely pilose-strigose. -- C. horizontalis 

Date: 7th May

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