Cotinus obovatus

Cotinus obovatus
Habit of C. obovatus at Aarhus Botanical Gardens
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Clade:Angiosperms
Clade:Eudicots
Clade:Rosids
Order:Sapindales
Family:Anacardiaceae
Genus:Cotinus
Species: C. obovatus
Binomial name
Cotinus obovatus
Raf.
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 Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee. 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 highly sought after and cultivated in botanical gardens world wide.[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

  1. ↑ "Cotinus obovatus". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  2. ↑ "Cotinus obovatus". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  3. ↑ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 1405332964.
  4. ↑ "RHS Plant Selector - Cotinus obovatus". Retrieved 20 July 2013.
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