Cotinus obovatus
| Cotinus obovatus | |
|---|---|
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| Habit of C. obovatus at Aarhus Botanical Gardens | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Anacardiaceae |
| Genus: | Cotinus |
| Species: | C. obovatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cotinus obovatus | |
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| Natural range of Cotinus obovatus | |
Cotinus obovatus syn. C. americanus, the American smoketree,[1] chittamwood or American smokewood, is a rare species of flowering plant in the genus Cotinus of the family Anacardiaceae, native to the southeastern USA. It is a deciduous, conical shrub growing to 10 m (33 ft) tall by 8 m (26 ft) broad, with oval leaves up to 12 cm (5 in) long. It produces panicles of pink-grey flowers in summer, and its foliage turns a brilliant scarlet in autumn; considered by many to be the most intense fall color of any tree. The smokey effect derives from the clusters of hairs on the spent flower stalks.[2] It is cultivated in gardens and parks in temperate regions.[3][4]
The Latin specific epithet obovatus means "in the shape of an inverted egg", and refers to the broadly oval shape of the leaves. The heartwood is a bright yellow. The species may be facing extinction in the wild.
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cotinus obovatus. |
- ↑ "Cotinus obovatus". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ↑ "Cotinus obovatus". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- ↑ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 1405332964.
- ↑ "RHS Plant Selector - Cotinus obovatus". Retrieved 20 July 2013.