Pyracantha

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Pyracantha
Red pommes of Firethorn (Pyracantha).jpg
Pyracantha branch with berry-like pomes
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Subfamily: Amygdaloideae
Tribe: Maleae
Subtribe: Malinae
Genus: Pyracantha
M.Roem.
Species

See text

Pyracantha (from Greek pyr "fire" and akanthos "thorn", hence firethorn) [1] is a genus of large, thorny evergreen shrubs in the family Rosaceae, with common names firethorn or pyracantha. They are native to an area extending from Southwest Europe east to Southeast Asia. They resemble and are related to Cotoneaster , but have serrated leaf margins and numerous thorns (Cotoneaster is thornless).

Contents

Description

Flowers Scarlet Firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea).jpg
Flowers

The plants reach up to 4.5 m (15 ft) tall. Leaves are small and oval. The seven species have small white flowers which are 5-merous and many stamened. Fruit are either red, orange, or yellow pomes. [2] The flowers are produced during late spring and early summer; the fruit develops in late summer, and matures in late autumn.[ citation needed ]

Fruit

The fruit of Pyracantha are classified as pomes. The pulp is safe for human consumption, but it is insipid, and the seeds are mildly poisonous as they contain cyanogenic glycosides (as do apples, plums, cherries, and almonds). [3] Seeds that are chewed and crushed while raw will release cyanogenic glycosides, and can cause mild gastro-intestinal problems when eaten in large enough quantities. [3] [4] [5] [ better source needed ] The fruit can be made into jelly. [6] The fruits persist significantly into winter which makes them a valuable bird food. [2]

Fossil record

A large number of fossil fruits of †Pyracantha acuticarpa have been described from middle Miocene strata of the Fasterholt area near Silkeborg in Central Jutland, Denmark. [7]

Taxonomy

Pyracantha is a member of the Rose family, and includes seven species. The genus was defined by 19th century botanist Max Joseph Roemer. [8]

Species

Cultivation

Pyracanthas are valuable ornamental plants, grown in gardens for their decorative flowers and fruit, often very densely borne. The thorns are easily able to puncture human skin, and when successful, the piercing causes a slight inflammation and severe pain. Their dense thorny structure makes them particularly valued in situations where an impenetrable barrier is required. The aesthetic characteristics of pyracanthas, in conjunction with their home security qualities, make them an alternative to artificial fences and walls. They are also good shrubs for a wildlife garden, providing dense cover for roosting and nesting birds, summer flowers for bees and an abundance of berries as a food source.[ citation needed ]

Cultivars

The following cultivars have won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:

Ecology

Pyracantha fruit can be dispersed into natural areas, allowing plants to invade natural communities. Species of Pyracantha are considered to be invasive in portions of the United States, including the states of California and Georgia. [14] Orange firethorn (Pyracantha angustifolia) is considered to be a weed or potential ("sleeper") weed in several states or territories of Australia, including Victoria, Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales. [15] As a consequence, importation and propagation are prohibited in some parts of Australia. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosaceae</span> Rose family of flowering plants

Rosaceae, the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maloideae</span> Subfamily of flowering plants

The MaloideaeC.Weber was the apple subfamily, a grouping used by some taxonomists within the rose family, Rosaceae. Recent molecular phylogenetic evidence has shown that the traditional Spiraeoideae and Amygdaloideae form part of the same clade as the traditional Maloideae, and the correct name for this group is Amygdaloideae. Earlier circumscriptions of Maloideae are more-or-less equivalent to subtribe Malinae or to tribe Maleae. The group includes a number of plants bearing commercially important fruits, such as apples and pears, while others are cultivated as ornamentals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pome</span> Fruit with apple-like features

In botany, a pome is a type of fruit produced by flowering plants in the subtribe Malinae of the family Rosaceae. Pome fruits consist of a central "core" containing multiple small seeds, which is enveloped by a tough membrane and surrounded by an edible layer of flesh. Pome fruit trees are deciduous, and undergo a dormant winter period that requires cold temperatures to break dormancy in spring. Well-known pomes include the apple, pear, and quince.

<i>Heteromeles</i> Genus of plants (AKA toyon; perennial shrub)

Heteromeles arbutifolia, commonly known as toyon, is a common perennial shrub native to extreme southwest Oregon, California, and the Baja California Peninsula. It is the sole species in the genus Heteromeles.

<i>Photinia</i> Genus of shrubs in the family RosaceaeG

Photinia is a genus of about 30 species of small trees and large shrubs, but the taxonomy has recently varied greatly, with the genera Heteromeles, Stranvaesia and Aronia sometimes included in Photinia.

<i>Cotoneaster franchetii</i> Species of plant

Cotoneaster franchetii 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.

<i>Sambucus nigra</i> Species of flowering plant in the moschatel family Adoxaceae

Sambucus nigra is a species complex of flowering plants in the family Adoxaceae native to most of Europe. Common names include elder, elderberry, black elder, European elder, European elderberry, and European black elderberry. It grows in a variety of conditions including both wet and dry fertile soils, primarily in sunny locations. The plant is widely grown as an ornamental shrub or small tree. Both the flowers and the berries have a long tradition of culinary use, primarily for cordial and wine.

<i>Pyracantha angustifolia</i> Species of shrub

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.

<i>Pyracantha coccinea</i> Species of flowering plant

Pyracantha coccinea, the scarlet firethorn is the European species of firethorn or red firethorn that has been cultivated in gardens since the late 16th century. The tree has small white flowers. It produces small, bright red berries. Its leaves are slightly toothed and grow opposite to one another. The fruit is bitter and astringent, making it inedible when raw. The fruit can be cooked to make jellies, jams, sauces and marmalade. It ranges from southern Europe to western Asia. It has been introduced to North America and cultivated there as an ornamental plant since the 18th century.

Pyracantha atalantioides is a species of Firethorn shrub.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyracantha fortuneana</span> Species of flowering plant

Pyracantha crenatoserrata, commonly known as Chinese firethorn or Yunnan firethorn, is a species of firethorn. It is a short shrub. It is cultivated for its decorative bright red pome fruit. The flowers are white. It survives in warm climates. It cannot tolerate frost, but it can withstand drought. This species originates from central China.

<i>Pyracantha crenulata</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

Pyracantha rogersiana, the Asian firethorn, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, native to western China. Growing to 4 metres (13 ft) tall and broad, it is an evergreen shrub with glossy, narrow leaves, and masses of white flowers followed by small yellow berries 8 mm in diameter. It is grown in gardens, yards, and parks, where it can be used as hedging, wall cover, or in a mixed shrub border. The cultivar 'Flava' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maleae</span> Tribe of flowering plants

The Maleae are the apple tribe in the rose family, Rosaceae. The group includes a number of plants bearing commercially important fruits, such as apples and pears, while others are cultivated as ornamentals. Older taxonomies separated some of this group as tribe Crataegeae, as the Cydonia group, or some genera were placed in family Quillajaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malinae</span> Subtribe of flowering plants

Malinae is the name for the apple subtribe in the rose family, Rosaceae. This name is required by the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, which came into force in 2011 for any group at the subtribe rank that includes the genus Malus but not either of the genera Rosa or Amygdalus. The group includes a number of plants bearing commercially important fruits, such as apples and pears, while others are cultivated as ornamentals.

<i>Cotoneaster adpressus</i> Species of flowering plant

Cotoneaster adpressus, commonly known as creeping cotoneaster, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Cotoneaster of the family Rosaceae, native to western China. It is a prostrate, dense, deciduous shrub growing to 2 metres wide. It has masses of tiny rounded leaves, with white flowers followed by bright scarlet berries. It is cultivated as groundcover in gardens in temperate regions.

<i>Cotoneaster atropurpureus</i> Species of flowering plant

Cotoneaster atropurpureus, the purple-flowered cotoneaster, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Cotoneaster of the family Rosaceae, native to the Hubei province of China. It is a prostrate, deciduous shrub growing to 2.5 metres wide. It can be used as groundcover or trained to ascend up a wall or other support. Its fan-shaped, arching branches bear small, rounded, glossy green leaves turning purple in autumn. Red/black flowers are followed by small, globose, scarlet fruits (pomes).

<i>Cotoneaster frigidus</i> Species of flowering plant

Cotoneaster frigidus, the tree cotoneaster, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Cotoneaster of the family Rosaceae, native to the Himalayas. It is a deciduous tree or shrub growing to 10 metres (33 ft). White flowers are followed by masses of small, globose, red fruits (pomes) in autumn, persisting into winter if not eaten by birds.

<i>Cotoneaster lacteus</i> Species of flowering plant

Cotoneaster lacteus, the late cotoneaster or milkflower cotoneaster, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Cotoneaster of the family Rosaceae, native to the Yunnan Province of China. It is a large evergreen shrub growing to 4 m (13 ft) tall and wide. Clusters of white flowers are followed by masses of small, globose, red fruits (pomes) in autumn. Unusually for this genus, the fruits are avoided by birds, hence garden escapes are rare, and the fruit persists on the plant throughout the winter.

References

  1. Johnson, A.T.; Smith, H.A. & Stockdale, A.P. (2019), Plant Names Simplified: Their Pronunciation Derivation & Meaning, Sheffield, Yorkshire: 5M Publishing, p. 127, ISBN   9781910455067
  2. 1 2 "Firethorn | plant". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  3. 1 2 "Plant poisoning—Cyanogenic glycoside Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatments and Causes". RightDiagnosis.com. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  4. "FDA Poisonous Plant Database". www.cfsanappsexternal.fda.gov.[ dead link ]
  5. See entry in German wikipedia de:Feuerdorn
  6. "Pyracantha | Archives | Aggie Horticulture". aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  7. Angiosperm Fruits and Seeds from the Middle Miocene of Jutland (Denmark) by Else Marie Friis, The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters 24:3, 1985
  8. "ITIS Standard Report Page: Pyracantha". www.itis.gov. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  9. "Pyracantha 'Orange Glow'". RHS. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  10. "PyracanthaSaphyr Orange ('Cadange')". RHS. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  11. "PyracanthaSaphyr Rouge ('Cadrou')". RHS. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  12. "Pyracantha 'Teton'". RHS. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  13. "Pyracantha rogersiana 'Flava'". RHS. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  14. "scarlet firethorn: Pyracantha coccinea (Rosales: Rosaceae): Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States". www.invasiveplantatlas.org. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  15. 1 2 "Pyracantha angustifolia". keyserver.lucidcentral.org. Retrieved 2017-12-31.