Pyrus cordata

Desvaux

Observ. Pl. Angers, 152. 1818.

Common names: Plymouth pear
Introduced
Synonyms: Pyrus boissieriana Buhse
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 9. Treatment on page 484. Mentioned on page 481, 483.

Plants 50–80 (–100) dm. Branches mostly purplish brown or dark reddish-brown, glabrous; thorns present at end of twigs. Leaves: petiole 2–5 cm, glabrous when young; blade ovate, ovatelanceolate, or suborbiculate, 2–5.5 × 1.5–3.5 cm, base usually cordate, sometimes broadly rounded, margins crenate-dentate or serrulate, eciliate or sparsely ciliate when young, apex acute or shortly acuminate, surfaces glabrous. Pedicels 2–3.5 cm, pubescent or glabrate. Flowers 20–25 mm diam.; sepals triangular-lanceolate, 2–3 (–5.5) × 1–1.5 mm, apex acuminate; petals white or creamy, ovate-elliptic or obovate, 6–12 × 5–7 mm; ovaries 5-locular; styles (3–) 5. Pomes red or reddish-brown or reddish green, densely pale dotted, usually globose, sometimes subglobose, 8–15 (–20) × 8–15 mm; sepals deciduous, sometimes persistent. 2n = 34.


Phenology: Flowering late Apr–early May; fruiting Aug–Sep.
Habitat: Moist soil at edge of wetlands
Elevation: 200–300 m

Distribution

V9 815-distribution-map.jpg

Introduced; Mich., Europe, w Asia, n Africa

Discussion

Occasional plants that are considered possible hybrids involving either Pyrus calleryana or P. communis may actually belong here; in most cases, sufficient information is lacking to identify them with certainty. Report of this taxon for Michigan is based on both flowering and fruiting material from the same stand and on extensive notes and photographs.

The concept used here for Pyrus cordata is based largely on J. J. Aldasoro et al. (1996), who distinguished it from P. communis by its narrower fruit pedicels, 0.8–1.6 mm diameter versus 1.5–2.8 mm diam.; the authors have observed much variation in pedicel diameter in wild plants referable to P. communis, in which the pedicels of dry specimens are often less than 1.5 mm diam. Among the species occurring in Europe and North Africa, P. cordata is considered to be quite distinctive (Aldasoro et al.; J. S. Challice and M. N. Westwood 1973). The flowers are reported to have a particularly unpleasant odor.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Pyrus cordata"
glabrous or +  and sparsely densely tomentose +
acuminate;acuminate;acute +
Paul M. Catling +  and Gisèle Mitrow +
Desvaux +
persistent +
orangebrown +, reddish +  and gray +
compound +  and simple +
opposite +  and alternate +
rounded +  and cordate +
9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br /> (12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (5.5 cm55 mm <br />0.055 m <br />) +
suborbiculate +, ovatelanceolate +  and ovate +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (9 cm90 mm <br />0.09 m <br />) +
leathery +  and firm +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (?) +  and 3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br /> (?) +
dark reddish-brown +  and purplish brown +
triangular-ovoid;ovoid;triangular-ovoid;ovoid;ovoid +
adnate +  and connate +
Plymouth pear +
tomentose +  and glabrous +
umbel-like +
Mich. +, Europe +, w Asia +  and n Africa +
not +  and aggregated +
200–300 m +
glabrous +  and hairy +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
not +  and aggregated +
not +  and aggregated +
dotted +, yellow +, green +, red +  and brown +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br />) +
Moist soil at edge of wetlands +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
cupular +  and campanulate +
crassinucellate +
deciduous +
serrulate +  and crenate-dentate +
ciliate +  and eciliate +
crenulate +  and crenate +
inferior +  and superior +
biseriate +  and clustered +
collateral +  and basal +
glabrate +  and pubescent +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
0 (?) +  and 4 (?) +
creamy +  and white +
free +  and distinct +
6mm;12mm +
obovate;ovate-elliptic +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br />) +
Flowering late Apr–early May +  and fruiting Aug–Sep. +
adnate +, free +, connate +  and distinct +
blackish +  and gray +
rectangular +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
pale dotted +, reddish green +, reddish-brown +  and red +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
subglobose +  and globose +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
Observ. Pl. Angers, +
tomentose +  and glabrous +
umbel-like +
not arillate +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.55 cm5.5 mm <br />0.0055 m <br />) +
persistent +  and deciduous +
free +  and distinct +
triangular-lanceolate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
Introduced +
free +  and distinct +
branched +  and simple +
1 +  and many +
lanceolate +
not +  and persistent +
distinct +
basal +, lateral +, subterminal +  and terminal +
elongate +
Pyrus boissieriana +
Pyrus cordata +
species +
inconspicuous +
oval +  and pyramidal +