Family |
Rosaceae
Cotoneaster nummularius
Fisch. & C.A.Mey.
Cotoneaster nummularius Fisch. & C.A.Mey.
(Index Seminum (LE, Petropolitanus) 2: 34; 1836 – Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 2, Pl. CLXV nº 3; 1969)
• Life-form & habit: Deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub, 0.5–2 m tall, much-branched, forming dense, rounded thickets. Branches stiff, erect to arching, young shoots densely tomentose and greyish, older wood reddish-brown to dark grey.
• Leaves: Alternate, orbicular to broadly elliptic, 5–20 × 4–15 mm, entire, coriaceous, base rounded, apex obtuse; upper surface dark green, glabrous or slightly pubescent; lower surface densely grey-tomentose, giving a silvery appearance. Petiole short, 1–2 mm, tomentose. Stipules small, caducous.
• Inflorescence & flowers: Solitary or in small corymbs of 2–4 flowers at short lateral branch tips. Flowers 7–10 mm wide, white to pinkish-white; hypanthium campanulate, densely hairy; calyx lobes triangular, reflexed at anthesis. Petals orbicular, slightly overlapping; stamens numerous; styles 2–3.
• Fruit: Pome globose, 6–8 mm in diameter, red to orange-red when ripe, crowned by the persistent calyx lobes; mesocarp firm; pyrenes 2–3.
• Phenology: Flowers from April to June; fruits ripen from August to October.
• Habitat & elevation: Rocky slopes, limestone cliffs, and dry montane scrub, 800–2 400 m. Tolerant of drought and shallow calcareous soils; often on south-facing slopes and in open juniper or oak woodland.
• Lebanese distribution: Frequent in the high mountains of Mount Lebanon — notably around Barouk, Ehden, Bcharreh, and Dahr el-Baïdar; forms dense thickets among rocks or along screes, sometimes associated with Berberis libanotica and Rosa canina.
• Native to: Afghanistan, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Eritrea, Greece, Inner Mongolia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Tadzhikistan, Transcaucasus, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, West Himalaya, Xinjiang, Yemen (POWO).
• ⚠️ Taxonomic note: A widespread Irano-Turanian–Mediterranean shrub, easily identified by its small orbicular leaves, dense silvery tomentum beneath, and bright red fruits. In Lebanon, Cotoneaster nummularius is the dominant montane species of the genus, differing from C. racemiflorus by its solitary or few-flowered inflorescences and smaller, firmer fruits. It plays an important ecological role in stabilising mountain screes and providing food for birds in late summer.