Nepalese Firethorn

Shrubs or small trees, to 5 m tall, with thorny branches. Branches dark brown when old, initially rusty pubescent, glabrous when old. Petiole 3–6 mm, glabrous; leaf blade oblong or oblanceolate, rarely ovate-lanceolate, 2–7 × 0.8–1.8 cm, both surfaces glabrous, base broadly cuneate or slightly rounded, margin crenulate or sparsely so, apex acute or obtuse. Compound corymb 3–5 cm in diam., many flowered; peduncle initially brown pubescent basally, glabrescent; bracts caducous, lanceolate. Pedicel 4–10 mm, glabrous. Flowers 6–9 mm in diam. Hypanthium campanulate, glabrous. Sepals triangular, 1–1.2 mm, abaxially glabrous, apex acute. Petals orbicular, 4–5 × 3–4 mm, apex rounded. Stamens 20; filaments 2–3 mm. Ovary densely white pubescent apically; styles nearly as long as stamens. Pome orangish yellow or orangish red when mature, nearly globose, 3–8 mm in diam.; sepals persistent, erect. Fl. Mar–May, fr. Aug–Nov.

Himalaya (Kashmir to Bhutan), Tibet, Burma, China.

Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Bhutan, India, Kashmir, Myanmar, Nepal].

1200-2500 m

Slopes, roadsides, stream sides, among shrubs, grassy places, valleys; 700--2500 m.

Pyracantha crenulata, the Nepalese firethorn, Nepal firethorn or Himalayan firethorn, is a species of firethorn. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant. The leaves are used to make herbal tea. The wood can be used to make walking sticks. The pome fruit is orange-red and are food for birds. It is locally named as Ghingharu(घिंगारू) in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India.