Narrowleaf Firethorn

Shrubs or small trees, to 4 m tall, often with thorny branches. Branchlets purplish brown when old, densely grayish yellow tomentose when young, glabrous when old. Petiole 1–2.5 mm or leaves sessile; leaf blade narrowly oblong to oblanceolate-oblong, 1.5–5 cm × 4–8 mm, abaxially densely gray tomentose, adaxially initially gray tomentose, soon glabrescent, base cuneate, margin entire, apex obtuse, apiculate, or emarginate. Compound corymb 2–4 cm diam., several flowered; peduncle densely gray tomentose; bracts caducous, lanceolate. Pedicel 1–2 mm, densely gray tomentose. Flowers ca. 2.5 mm in diam. Hypanthium campanulate, densely gray tomentose. Sepals triangular, 1–1.1 mm, abaxially densely gray tomentose, apex acute. Petals suborbicular, ca. 4 mm, apex rounded or emarginate. Stamens 20; filaments 1.5–2 mm. Ovary white tomentose; styles nearly as long as stamens. Pome reddish, depressed-globose, 5–6 mm in diam.; sepals persistent, erect. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Oct–Dec.

Guizhou, Hubei, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang.

Thickets on slopes, at roadsides; 1600--3000 m.

Cotoneaster angustifolius Franchet, Pl. Delavay. 221. 1890.

angustifolia: narrow-leaved

Spiny shrub, to 4 m, sometimes prostrate. Leaves borne in fascicles on spiny side branches; lamina 2-5 cm × 4-7 mm, narrowly oblong to narrowly oblanceolate, dark green and becoming glabrous above, greyish-tomentose beneath; apex obtuse, mucronulate; margin rolled under, entire or obscurely toothed towards apex. Flowers c.8 mm across, white, in dense tomentose corymbs. Fruit 6-8 mm in diameter, subspherical, orange to brick-red.

Local

Native to China; naturalised in southern Africa

Pyracantha angustifolia: flowers and fruit.

Pyracantha angustifolia is a species of shrub in the rose family known by the common names narrowleaf firethorn, slender firethorn and woolly firethorn. The flowers are white and produce small round pomes and can be orange to red in color. These fruits are astringent and bitter, making them inedible for humans, but they are a food source for birds. The leaves, fruit and seeds contain hydrogen cyanide, the source of the bitter taste. The stems and branches have sharp spines. This shrub is cultivated and grown in yards and gardens as an ornamental plant. It can be used to make hedges for home security. This species is native to China but has been introduced to North America and Australia. It is an invasive species in Hawaii and in other areas.