Cotoneaster franchetii

{{Short description|Species of plant}}

{{Speciesbox

|image = Cotoneaster franchetii 2.jpg

|genus = Cotoneaster

|species = franchetii

|authority = Bois

|synonyms_ref={{cite web |url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:722494-1 |title=Cotoneaster franchetii Bois |author= |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=30 May 2021 }}

|synonyms={{Collapsible list|

  • Cotoneaster cinerascens (Rehder) Flinck & B.Hylmö
  • Cotoneaster franchetii var. cinerascens Rehder
  • Cotoneaster franchetii var. sternianus Turrill
  • Cotoneaster mairei H.Lév.
  • Cotoneaster sternianus (Turrill) Boom
  • Cotoneaster tengyuehensis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö
  • Cotoneaster vilmorinianus G.Klotz
  • Cotoneaster wardii W.W.Sm.
  • Pyrus cinerascens (Rehder) M.F.Fay & Christenh.
  • Pyrus franchetii (Bois) M.F.Fay & Christenh.
  • Pyrus klotzii M.F.Fay & Christenh.
  • Pyrus sterniana (Turrill) M.F.Fay & Christenh.
  • Pyrus turdus M.F.Fay & Christenh.
  • Pyrus variabilis M.F.Fay & Christenh.
  • Pyrus wardii (W.W.Sm.) M.F.Fay & Christenh.

}}}}

Cotoneaster franchetii (Franchet's cotoneaster or orange cotoneaster) is a species of Cotoneaster native to southwestern China, in the provinces of Guizhou, Sichuan, Tibet, and Yunnan, and also in adjacent northern Myanmar and northern Thailand.{{cite web|url= http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200010732|title=Cotoneaster franchetii|publisher=Flora of China|volume=9|accessdate= August 21, 2007}}{{GRIN | accessdate=August 21, 2007}}

It is an evergreen or semi-evergreen shrub growing to {{convert|3|m}} tall. The leaves are oval-acute, {{convert|2|–|3.5|cm}} long and {{convert|1|–|1.5|cm}} broad, shiny green above, pubescent below with dense whitish to yellowish hairs. The flowers are produced in corymbs of 5–15 together, each flower {{convert|6|–|7|mm}} diameter, with the five petals pink on the outer side, white on the inner side. The fruit is a red pome {{convert|6|–|9|mm}} diameter; they are eaten by fruit-eating birds who disperse the seeds in their droppings.Flora of NW Europe: [http://wbd.etibioinformatics.nl/bis/flora.php?menuentry=soorten&id=2825 Cotoneaster franchetii] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304092703/http://wbd.etibioinformatics.nl/bis/flora.php?menuentry=soorten&id=2825 |date=2016-03-04 }}{{cite book|editor=Huxley, A|year=1992|title=New RHS Dictionary of Gardening|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=0-333-47494-5}}

Two varieties are accepted by some authors, but not treated as distinct by the Flora of China:

  • Cotoneaster franchetii var. franchetii, described above
  • Cotoneaster franchetii var. cinerascens Rehd, larger, to {{convert|4|m}} tall, with leaves up to {{convert|4|cm}} long, and up to 30 flowers per corymb

Some authors include a third variety, var. sternianus, although more often, this is treated as a distinct species, Cotoneaster sternianus.Flora of NW Europe: [http://wbd.etibioinformatics.nl/bis/flora.php?menuentry=soorten&id=2828 Cotoneaster sternianus] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130729080906/http://wbd.etibioinformatics.nl/bis/flora.php?menuentry=soorten&id=2828 |date=2013-07-29 }} As Cotoneaster sternianus it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{cite web |title=Cotoneaster sternianus |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/4678/cotoneaster-sternianus/details |date=2021 |publisher=The Royal Horticultural Society |access-date=30 May 2021 |quote=Synonyms; Cotoneaster franchetii var. sternianus }}

Cultivation and uses

Cotoneaster franchetii is a popular ornamental plant. It has escaped from cultivation and become locally naturalised in parts of the British Isles and the Pacific Northwest of North America, as well as Northern California.{{cite web | url=https://www.cal-ipc.org/plants/profile/cotoneaster-franchetii-profile/ | title=Cotoneaster franchetii Profile | date=20 March 2017 }}

Scientists at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in the UK carried out a study on the effectiveness of hedges for soaking up air pollution, comparing different types of shrubs including cotoneaster, hawthorn, and western red cedar. They found that bushy, hairy-leafed varieties of cotoneaster, such as this, are “super plants” that can help soak up air pollution. On roads with heavy traffic, the dense, hairy-leaved Cotoneaster franchetii was at least 20% more effective at soaking up air pollution than other shrubs often planted along roadsides.{{Cite web|last=Media|first=P. A.|date=2021-02-18|title=Experts identify 'super-plant' that absorbs roadside air pollution|url=http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/18/experts-identify-super-plant-that-absorbs-roadside-air-pollution|access-date=2021-02-18|website=the Guardian|language=en}}

References