Biology:Pyracantha

From HandWiki

Pyracantha, the firethorn,[1] is a genus of thorny, evergreen shrubs or small trees in the family Rosaceae[2] native to south-eastern Europe and Asia.[3] Pyracantha are cultivated as ornamental plants.[3][1] They resemble and are related to Cotoneaster,[4] but only Pyracantha has thorns, bumpy leaf edges, and yellow anthers,[5] while Cotoneaster does not grow thorns.[4]

Description

Pyracantha growing wild in a private garden in Japan. The fruit is an important food source for overwintering red-flanked bluetails (Tarsiger cyanurus).
Flowers

Vegetative characteristics

Pyracantha are strongly heterophyllous, evergreen, spiny,[3] shrubs[1] or small trees[2] with 1–3 erect or divergent stems.[1] The thin, grey bark is smooth or slightly fissured.[1] The simple, petiolate, alternate leaves have an entire, serrate, or crenulate margin.[3]

Generative characteristics

The seven species have small white flowers which are 5-merous and many stamened. Fruit are either red, orange, or yellow pomes.[6] The flowers are produced during late spring and early summer; the fruit develops in late summer, and matures in late autumn. The fruit of Pyracantha are classified as pomes. The pulp is safe for human consumption, but it is insipid, and the seeds are mildly poisonous as they contain cyanogenic glycosides (as do apples, plums, cherries, and almonds).[7] Seeds that are chewed and crushed while raw will release cyanogenic glycosides, and can cause mild gastro-intestinal problems when eaten in large enough quantities.[7][8] The fruit can be made into jelly.[9] The fruits persist significantly into winter which makes them a valuable bird food.[6]

Taxonomy

Pyracantha is a member of the Rose family, and includes seven species. The genus was defined by 19th century botanist Max Joseph Roemer.[10]

Etymology

The genus name Pyracantha, from Greek pyr "fire" and akanthos "thorn", means firethorn.[11]

Species

Six species are accepted:[12]

Fossil record

A large number of fossil fruits of †Pyracantha acuticarpa have been described from middle Miocene strata of the Fasterholt area near Silkeborg in Central Jutland, Denmark.[13]

Ecology

Pyracantha fruit can be dispersed into natural areas, allowing plants to invade natural communities. Species of Pyracantha are considered to be invasive in portions of the United States, including the states of California and Georgia.[14] Orange firethorn (Pyracantha angustifolia) is considered to be a weed or potential ("sleeper") weed in several states or territories of Australia, including Victoria, Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales.[15] As a consequence, importation and propagation are prohibited in some parts of Australia.[15]

Uses

An orange variety of firethorn in Ehrenbach, Germany

The following cultivars have won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Pyracantha in Flora of North America @ efloras.org. (n.d.). Retrieved July 26, 2026, from http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=127748
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Pyracantha in Flora of China @ efloras.org. (n.d.). Retrieved July 26, 2026, from http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=127748
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. (2019, March 15). Pyracantha. VicFlora. Retrieved July 26, 2026, from https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/965dd637-f841-4eb2-9ac6-91816fc9b51c
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Gerdhardt, S. (2025, May 5). Why you should grow Pyracantha: Six reasons to plant this versatile shrub. Caledonian Horticulture. Retrieved July 26, 2026, from https://caledonianhorticulture.co.uk/why-you-should-grow-pyracantha-six-reasons-to-plant-this-versatile-shrub/
  5. ↑ Homer-Smith, B. (n.d.). Comparing Cotoneasters and Pyracantha. PlantID. Retrieved July 26, 2026, from https://plantid.net/Classic/LinkArticles/CompareCotoneasters.htm?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Firethorn | plant" (in en). https://www.britannica.com/plant/firethorn. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Plant poisoning—Cyanogenic glycoside Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatments and Causes". RightDiagnosis.com. https://www.rightdiagnosis.com/p/plant_poisoning_cyanogenic_glycoside/intro.htm. 
  8. ↑ "FDA Poisonous Plant Database". www.cfsanappsexternal.fda.gov. https://www.cfsanappsexternal.fda.gov/scripts/plantox/detail.cfm?id=1349. 
  9. ↑ "Pyracantha | Archives | Aggie Horticulture". https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/trees/pyracan.html. 
  10. ↑ "ITIS Standard Report Page: Pyracantha". https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=25291#null. 
  11. ↑ Johnson, A.T.; Smith, H.A.; Stockdale, A.P. (2019), Plant Names Simplified: Their Pronunciation Derivation & Meaning, Sheffield, Yorkshire: 5M Publishing, p. 127, ISBN 9781910455067 
  12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named powo
  13. ↑ Angiosperm Fruits and Seeds from the Middle Miocene of Jutland (Denmark) by Else Marie Friis, The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters 24:3, 1985
  14. ↑ "scarlet firethorn: Pyracantha coccinea (Rosales: Rosaceae): Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States". https://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/subject.html?sub=14117. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Pyracantha angustifolia". https://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/pyracantha_angustifolia.htm. 
  16. ↑ "Pyracantha 'Orange Glow'". RHS. https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/70048/Pyracantha-Orange-Glow/Details. 
  17. ↑ "Pyracantha Saphyr Orange ('Cadange')". RHS. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/80987/pyracantha-saphyr-orange-(-cadange-)/details. 
  18. ↑ "Pyracantha Saphyr Rouge ('Cadrou')". RHS. https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/79022/Pyracantha-Saphyr-Rouge-Cadrou/Details. 
  19. ↑ "Pyracantha 'Teton'". RHS. https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/54331/Pyracantha-Teton/Details. 
  20. ↑ "Pyracantha rogersiana 'Flava'". RHS. https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/63757/Pyracantha-rogersiana-Flava/Details. 

Wikidata ☰ Q157748 entry



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Biology:Pyracantha&oldid=4648960"