Cotoneaster nummularius

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Cotoneaster nummularius
Nummular Cotoneaster flowers growing in Mount Hermon
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Cotoneaster
Species:
C. nummularius
Binomial name
Cotoneaster nummularius
Fisch. & C. A. Meyer
Synonyms[1]
  • Cotoneaster fontanesii var. nummularius (Fisch. & C. A. Mey.) Regel
  • Cotoneaster integerrimus var. nummularius (Fisch. & C. A. Mey.) Fiori
  • Cotoneaster nummularius var. typicus Koehne
  • Cotoneaster racemiflorus var. meyeri Zabel
  • Cotoneaster racemiflorus var. nummularius (Fisch. & C. A. Mey.) Dippel

Cotoneaster nummularius, the nummular or coinwort cotoneaster, is a species of cotoneaster. This woody shrub is native to much of Asia and south eastern Europe.[2][3][4][5]

Description[edit]

Cotoneaster nummularius is a mountainous winter deciduous woody shrub covered in alternate dull green rounded to oval-shaped leaves with fuzzy white undersides and blooms in clusters of 3 to 5 with white hermaphrodite flowers. It flowers from April to June; the fruits are red slightly felted pomes that darken to a bluish black color. It grows at altitudes between 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft).[6][5][4] Sprawling areas of bushes at the base of the Cotoneaster nummularius tree are safe shelters for the Tortoise.[citation needed]

Distribution[edit]

The species is found in Greece, Crete, Lebanon, Syria, Israel / Palestine, Turkey, Cyprus, Iraq, Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Caucasus, Iran, Turkestan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Gruziya, Caucasus, Pakistan, Northwestern India, China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.[3] The mountains are very young in the Eastern Anatolian region of Turkey. Therefore, the trees in the region multiply with seeds. Due to excessive animal grazing in the area, new shoots of vulnerable Cotoneaster nummularius trees in the open field are eaten by animals. This does not allow them to grow and causes them to take a horizontally irregular shape on the ground.[citation needed]

Uses[edit]

Cotoneaster nummularis is used in folk medicine; decoctions made from the fruits is taken orally as an appetite stimulant, stomachic and expectorant.[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ GBIF. "Cotoneaster nummularius". gbif. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  2. ^ Fisch. & C. A. Meyer, 1835 In: Ind. Sem. Horti Petrop. 2: 34
  3. ^ a b Roskov Y.; Kunze T.; Orrell T.; Abucay L.; Paglinawan L.; Culham A.; Bailly N.; Kirk P.; Bourgoin T.; Baillargeon G.; Decock W.; De Wever A. (2014). Didžiulis V. (ed.). "Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2014 Annual Checklist". Reading, UK.: Species 2000. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Lebanon FLORA". www.lebanon-flora.org. Faculty of Sciences - Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  5. ^ a b "Cotoneaster nummularius - Coinwort Cotoneaster". www.flowersofindia.net. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  6. ^ "Cotoneaster nummularius Fisch. & C.A.Mey. | Flora of Israel Online". Flora of Israel Online. Retrieved 2016-12-21.
  7. ^ Arnold, N.; Baydoun, S.; Chalak, L.; Raus, Th. (2015). "A contribution to the flora and ethnobotanical knowledge of Mount Hermon, Lebanon" (PDF). Flora Mediterranea. 25: 48.