Flowering in Tuscon now

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by Eric La Fountaine, Mar 29, 2021.

  1. Eric La Fountaine

    Eric La Fountaine Contributor Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    This shrub is flowering in Tuscon now and for the past few weeks. No one seems to know what it is. It's heavily visited by bees.
     

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    Georgia Strait and Acerholic like this.
  2. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Something Rosaceae. Sorry, not one I'm familiar with!
     
  3. Eric La Fountaine

    Eric La Fountaine Contributor Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Gosh, I figured someone from the SW USA would recognize this one. Fallugia paradoxa was suggested, but it seems different than that one. I am now thinking it may be a Purshia.
     
  4. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    I wanted it to be that, as the impression it gives seems similar, but I haven't seen any photos with leaves like the ones in your photo. Everything I saw had those three-pronged leaves. And Fallugia seems to have the same leaves as Purshia. The page at Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness-- Fallugia paradoxa says "Purshia has a much more obvious trunk than Fallugia. However, the flowers on Fallugia are larger and their pedicels are longer than on Purshia."

    Is that an unusually tidy arrangement of stamens? And the stems are square?
     
  5. Tyrlych

    Tyrlych Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Osteomeles leaves fit better.
     
  6. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Was it growing on the north side of a brick wall? See one of the comments for Osteomeles schwerinae at Osteomeles schwerinae PFAF Plant Database.

    I thought it looked a little familiar. It seems I've seen Osteomeles anthyllidifolia in Hawai'i.
    There's at least one more species in the running.
     
  7. Eric La Fountaine

    Eric La Fountaine Contributor Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    The leaves are certainly a better fit, but the fruit does not seem to be a pome. The plant is growing in full sun. I may need to take a closer look at this plant whenever we next travel to Tucson.
     
  8. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Those red things are the fruits? I thought just calyces, not yet fruits.
    So not a pome because the stamens are above the fruits. Does that rule out Rosaceae?
    And what about the fused stamens? Does that rule out Rosaceae?
     
  9. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    I'm liking the Osteomeles suggestion as well.
     
  10. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    So where is this Tuscon anyway? Somewhere in Italy?
     
  11. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Looks like a [young, immature] pome to me? Same appearance as a young apple shortly after the petals have fallen.
     
  12. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    The image 6 photo at Osteomeles schweriniae | Chinese Emperor Plum information & photos (plantthis.com.au) looks like the flowers in this thread, so the answer here is no, if that's even a correct description of what I'm seeing.

    This Top Tropicals page has photos of the fruits with the stamens still attached.
    Osteomeles schweriniae, Chinese Emperor Plum - TopTropicals.com, particularly the first photo that comes up if you click Show More Images.
     
  13. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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  14. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Here's a video of Mission Garden, 4 minutes. No Osteomeles in sight, though. I haven't been to Tucson (have been to Phoenix and liked it).
    Favorite Places: Mission Garden - YouTube
     
  15. Eric La Fountaine

    Eric La Fountaine Contributor Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    OK, thanks everyone. That's most likely the plant. I will see if I can get to Tucson this winter and check it out.

    I did not change the title of the thread. Ron's joke may help people to remember how to spell it correctly. I should know, I've been going there almost every winter for 30 years. The Sonoran Desert is a very beautiful place with a unique ecology.
     

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