Cotoneaster sherriffii G.Klotz

Erect shrub 1–3 m tall, deciduous (most leaves fallen by August). Branches spirally arranged; branchlets red-brown, slightly angulate, with peeling cuticle, branchlet hairs moderately dense, yellow; stipule 2.0–2.5 mm long, green to dark red, hairs moderately dense, yellow. Leaves sparse on branches, 16–22 mm long, lamina 14–20 mm long, 10.5–11.5 mm wide, elliptic, plane, 210–240 µm thick, petiole 2.0 mm long, hairs dense, fine, straight, yellow; leaf base obtuse; leaf apex rounded, apiculus bent downwards; lateral veins in 4 pairs or not visible, midvein only impressed above and projecting below, upper leaf surface smooth, dark green (RHS 136A), glossy, hairs sparse, on midvein only, none on old leaves; margins plane; lower surface glaucous, hairs moderately dense, white, fine but straight.

Inflorescence a corymb of 1–3 flowers, 6–8 mm long with 3–4 leaves, rachis hairs dense, pale yellow; pedicel 1–2 mm long, hairs as for rachis. Flowers 8–10 mm diameter. Hypanthium green, becoming pink after flowering, sepals 2.0 mm long, 1.2 mm wide, hairs moderately dense, pale yellow. Petals pink in bud, when open spreading, white, 3.0–3.3 mm long, 3.0–3.5 mm wide, base clawed, tuft of hairs absent, margins entire. Stamens 19–20; filaments 2.6–3.1 mm long, white, turning pink later; anthers red-purple, 0.9–1.1 mm long; styles 2 (or 2 fused into 1), 2.3–2.9 mm long. Fruit vivid reddish-orange (RHS 34A), or in shaded situations strong orange (RHS 26–31A), obovoid to spherical, 8.0–11.0 mm long, 7.3–11.1 mm diameter, calyx closed, hairs sparse, eventually none. Pyrenes 2, rarely fused into 1, 5.5–6.0 mm long, 3.1–4.5 mm wide, hairs very sparse at apex, umbonate, style attached 0.6–0.8 mm below apex.

An erect shrub 1–3 m tall, leaves small, 16–22 mm long, glaucous below with moderately dense hairs, the leaf apex obtuse. Flowers 1–3, corolla white but slightly pink in bud, without a tuft of hairs, petals spreading, filaments white but turning pink later, anthers red-purple, fruit with 2 pyrenes, pyrenes with style near to but not at apex.

Most similar to Cotoneaster integrifolius in leaf size and number of styles/pyrenes, but C. sherriffii becomes a large upright shrub or small tree.

Flowering: mid to late October; Fruiting: late January to June

Diploid (Fryer & Hylmö 2009). Flow cytometry result is triploid using CHR 635038.