Common names: Cusick’s shadbush
Endemic
Synonyms: Amelanchier alnifolia var. cusickii (Fernald) C. L. Hitchcock A. basalticola Piper
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 9. Treatment on page 652. Mentioned on page 649.

Shrubs, 2–8 m. Stems 1–50, solitary or in colonies. Leaves fully unfolded; petiole (9–)12.8–19(–28) mm; blade elliptic to suborbiculate, (22–)33–46(–61) × (13–)25–32(–50) mm, base subcordate to truncate, each margin with (0 or)1–6(–11) teeth on proximal 1/2 and (2–)4 or 5(–7) teeth in distalmost cm, largest teeth 1 mm, apex usually truncate, sometimes mucronate to acute, abaxial surface glabrous or sparsely hairy by flowering, glabrous (or sparsely hairy) later, adaxial glabrous later. Inflorescences (4–)6–8(–10)-flowered, (17–)26–36(–47) mm. Pedicels: (0 or)1 or 2 subtended by a leaf, proximalmost (4–)9–14(–18) mm. Flowers: sepals erect to recurved after flowering, (2.6–)3.3–4.3(–5.3) mm; petals obovate to oblanceolate, (10.8–)13.3–20.1(–23.2) × (2.3–)3.3–6.3(–7.5) mm; stamens (14–)18–20(–21); styles (4 or)5, (1.7–)2.6–4(–4.8) mm; ovary apex glabrous or sparsely hairy (or with a ring of hairs at base of styles). Pomes bluish black, 10 mm diam. 2n = 4x.


Phenology: Flowering Mar–Jul; fruiting May–Aug.
Habitat: Basaltic ledges, cliffs, and bluffs along streams, stony soil, streambeds, stream banks, copses, mountainsides, roadsides
Elevation: 600–2300 m

Distribution

V9 1121-distribution-map.jpg

B.C., Idaho, Mont., Oreg., Wash.

Discussion

Amelanchier cusickii has distinctively long petals. Leaves that are glabrous upon expanding and glabrous or sparsely hairy ovary apices are also useful for identification. The species flowers before A. alnifolia, which suggests that the two are genetically distinct. G. N. Jones (1946) noted that A. alnifolia and A. cusickii frequently grow together and that there is no evidence of hybridization; the authors have observed hybridization between A. alnifolia var. semiintegrifolia and A. cusickii.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Amelanchier cusickii"
Christopher S. Campbell +, Michael B. Burgess +, Kevin R. Cushman +, Eric T. Doucette +, Alison C. Dibble +  and Christopher T. Frye +
Fernald +
Cusick’s shadbush +
B.C. +, Idaho +, Mont. +, Oreg. +  and Wash. +
600–2300 m +
Basaltic ledges, cliffs, and bluffs along streams, stony soil, streambeds, stream banks, copses, mountainsides, roadsides +
Flowering Mar–Jul +  and fruiting May–Aug. +
Amelanchier alnifolia var. cusickii +  and A. basalticola +
Amelanchier cusickii +
Amelanchier +
species +