Chinese Firethorn

Shrubs to 3 m tall. Lateral branches short, thornlike; young branchlets rusty pubescent, dark brown and glabrescent when old. Petiole glabrous or initially slightly pubescent; stipules not seen; leaf blade obovate or obovate-oblong, 1.5–6 × 0.5–2 cm, both surfaces glabrous, base cuneate, margin serrate with teeth incurved, apex obtuse or emarginate, sometimes shortly apiculate. Compound corymb rather loose, 3–4 cm in diam.; peduncle subglabrous; bracts caducous, lanceolate. Pedicel ca. 1 cm, subglabrous. Flowers ca. 1 cm in diam. Hypanthium campanulate, abaxially glabrous. Sepals triangular, 1–1.5 mm, glabrous, margin entire, apex obtuse. Petals suborbicular, ca. 4 × 3 mm, apex rounded or obtuse. Stamens 20; filaments 3–4 mm. Ovary densely white pubescent apically; styles ca. as long as stamens. Pome orangish red or dark red, subglobose, ca. 5 mm; fruiting pedicel 2–5 mm; sepals persistent, erect. Fl. Mar–May, fr. Aug–Nov. 2n = 34*.

Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang.

Thickets, stream sides, roadsides; 500--2800 m.

Photinia fortuneana Maximowicz, Bull. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg, sér. 3, 19: 179. 1874; P. crenatoserrata Hance; Pyracantha crenatoserrata (Hance) Rehder (1931); P. crenulata var. yunnanensis M. Vilmorin ex Mottet (1913); P. gibbsii var. yunnanensis (M. Vilmorin ex Mottet) A. Osborn (1919); P. yunnanensis (M. Vilmorin ex Mottet) Chittenden (1921).

Pyracantha crenatoserrata fruit

Pyracantha crenatoserrata, commonly known as Chinese firethorn or Yunnan firethorn, is a species of firethorn. It is a short shrub. It is cultivated for its decorative bright red pome fruit (inaccurately called berries). The flowers are white. It survives in warm climates. It cannot tolerate frost, but it can withstand drought. This species originates from central China.

It has become naturalised across parts of Australia, New Zealand and the United States.