Kingdom Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass Rosidae –
Order Celastrales –
Family Aquifoliaceae – Holly family
Genus Ilex L. – holly
Species Ilex amelanchier M.A. Curtis ex Chapman – sarvis holly Somehow, none of the common names available for this species seem to do it justice. The pure white, dew-laden blossoms dangling in the spring air, the delectable fruit, much like a blueberry only sweeter, and the brilliant crimson autumn foliage glowing against light-gray striations on silvery bark are all too magnificent to be described with a single name.
This probably explains the variety of monikers available, although one would think somebody would eventually give up in the quest for a perfect name. They range from 'shadblow', referring to the time when the shad run, to 'serviceberry', a meaningless name evolved from Sarvis-tree, which in turn is a name for A. laevis and refers to the Sorbus-like (mountain-ash) fruit.
There is a great deal of confusion surrounding the taxonomy of amelanchiers, although Dr. Ed Hasselkus of the University of Wisconsin has made an admirable attempt to classify the various species with some semblance of order. In essence, most plants offered in the trade are not true A. arborea, but are either a hybrid or an entirely different species.
A. arborea can be distinguished from its kinsmen by pubescent emerging leaves, greenish-yellow buds, and pendulous fruit.
Leaf: Alternate, simple, deciduous, finely serrate (especially on the upper third of the leaf), lance to egg-shaped (variable) or obovate, rounded at the leaf base, glabrous and green above (may be pubescent), paler and slightly pubescent below, to 3 inches long.
Flower: Dioecious; both male and females are stalked and greenish-white, usually in clusters, appear in spring.
Fruit: Round drupes, 1/3 inch in diameter, dull red, ripening in fall but persisting through the winter, borne on short stalks, seeds grooved.
Twig: Slender, gray-green, with scattered light lenticels, buds dome-shaped,leaf scars small with one vascular bundle scar, slightly pubescent.
Bark: Thin, smooth and grayish brown, somewhat warty.
Form: Upright shrub or small tree, reaches heights of 10 to 15 feet.
Propagation:
Seed should be harvested as soon as the fruit is ripe in mid-summer, and then stratified for 4 months at 40°F.
Dirr claims difficulty in making cuttings, but recommends the following as the most successful method. Cuttings should be taken when the end leaf is maturing and the stem tissue is firming, most likely in mid-May. 3000 to 10000 ppm KIBA-quick dip in peat:perlite with misting presented 72% rooting, sometimes as high as 96%. Care should be taken to overwinter in the bed or rooting cells, as overwintering losses can be high otherwise.
Tissue culture is becoming an increasingly popular method of propagating the cultivars associated with this species, although most commercial selections are either forms of A. laevis or A. grandiflora.
2006-10-15 23:27:08
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answer #1
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answered by babitha t 4
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