Identification: Ito-kukuri (or is it Temari?) - late season, double pinky-white, tight clusters

I think I've found a group of (very beautiful) 'Ito-kukuri' at UBC. Photos taken 15 April.

 

Re: Ito-kukuri

What identifying characteristics are you seeing?

 

Re: Ito-kukuri

'Hokusai' makes a spreading and vigorous tree with a flattish top, we have a few here including a huge one at Pt Defiance Park, Tacoma. (Kuitert mentions a closely similar cultivar, nobody I know has checked ours).

Jacobson (1996) doesn't mention 'Ito-kukuri' having been in North America, you're sure these aren't something else that is fairly frequent like 'Temari'?

 

Re: Ito-kukuri

I arrived at this diagnosis on the basis of Kuitert; i.e., Arie Peterse's key and the text under the 'Ito-kukuri' heading. Pointed buds, sepals unserrated, 20-30 petals, single carpels (pistils), red stripes on the outer whorl of the corolla and tightly clustered flowers on short peduncles (if I remember the details correctly). Distinctly beautiful flowers on trees that, unfortunately, have been sorely abused (truck-pruning, drought, neglect, etc.); this is why I didn't photograph whole trees. The crown looks to be somewhat open and umbrella-shaped, with thickish branches. I thought it might be 'Hokusai' at first, but the colour is not deep enough and the petal edges seemed wrong. I'll check my other references and note the expanded leaves to make sure.

The phylloid in the image of (presumed) 'Ito-kukuri' is emerging from the midst of the corrolla (the collective term for petals). The calyx (the collective term for sepals) represents the outer whorl of flower parts, the carpels, the innermost whorl. As far as I recall (and I don't have a copy of Kuitert with me at the present), the presence of phylloids does not disqualify this as 'Ito-kukuri'.

 

Re: Ito-kukuri

From the Manual of Flowering Cherries (compiled by the flower Association of Japan, 1982), the contributor Masatoshi Asari suggests that 'Temari' and 'Ito-kukuri' are "almost identical ... from observations of young and old tree." He also relates that according to the classic book Igansai-Ohin (1757), 'Ito-kukuri' is a larger flowered 'Temari'.

However, Kuitert reports that the flowers of 'Ito-kukuri' are 4.0 to 4.5 cm in diameter--essentially the same as that for 'Temari' in the Manual of Flowering Cherries, and he suggests that a number of cultivars (including 'Temari') are "rarely or never distinguished from 'Ito-kukuri'." Who knows. If Jacobson knows something about the importation of 'Temari' (specifically), he doesn't mention it in North American Landscape Trees.

 

Re: Ito-kukuri (or is it Temari?)

Doug, I did read why you don't post pictures of the trees, but I think it's helpful for us scouts, and you did instruct us at the scouting intro session to take a photo of the tree and one of the blossoms, so I'm posting what my companion today says is the tree you told her it is. It may not represent the tree in good conditions, but it does help us find it in the local setting.

 

Re: Ito-kukuri (or is it Temari?)

For what it's worth, tree shown by W. Cutler has same general appearance as what A. Jacobson has determined to be 'Temari' down here.

http://www.arthurleej.com/p-o-m-April05.html

 

Re: Ito-kukuri (or is it Temari?)

Doug, are these trees located at the end of the 6300 block Bio Sciences Road. I am wondering if the 4 trees currently in bloom are the ones in your photographs. I am assuming the tree in bloom across the street that W. Cutler posted is the same tree.

 

Re: Ito-kukuri (or is it Temari?)

Yes.

 

Re: Ito-kukuri (or is it Temari?)

Pale, anemic Kanzan look-alike blossoms, but with fewer petals and are in thick clusters like Takasago. Petal edges are notched; staminodes present in some blossoms. Short-stalked corymbs. Calyx green; 5 green-red, recurved sepals. No thread-like vein. Pale pink buds. Tree appears unhappy with status. In bloom April 30, 2008.

 

Re: Ito-kukuri (or is it Temari?)

No, not 'Ito-kukuri' (or 'Temari'). I would expect to see more half-petals crowded in the centres of the flowers. It certainly has the 'Takasago' look, but this is pretty late for flowers of 'Takasago' to not also have red stains. Note the flowers in post #3 of the 'Takasago' thread, which clearly show older flowers with this staining. In what area is this tree? Is it very cool there?

 

Re: Ito-kukuri (or is it Temari?)

I can tell from the file name that it's 38th and Quebec - behind QE Park but outside the 100m elevation line. Southeast Vancouver is quite a bit later than most areas and the Takasago photos Mayling just posted in Killarney have dark centres. But I've seen Akebonos on one side of a path completely finished while the ones obviously planted at the same time on the other side of the path in what seemed to be identical conditions were at peak bloom. It seems that some trees, like some people, can be late starters.

 

Re: Ito-kukuri (or is it Temari?)

Here is the unidentified tree on Quebec and 38, one week later. The blossoms are falling without the centres turning red.

 

Re: Ito-kukuri (or is it Temari?)

I think Joseph Lin's scouts have found us an 'Ito-kukuri'. I wouldn't mind having confirmation one way or the other.

Anne has reported elsewhere that the unknown tree from Quebec and 38th (previous posting) has been cut down now. It's handy to have that here, though, as it's similar to another unknown tree that in shape looks a bit similar to what I'm posting now, but the blossoms are different. Joseph Lin sent me photos that one of his scouts took and asked what it was, so I went to look. It's a private tree on 54th just east of Wales (west of Vivian), south side of the street. It seems a bit late for 'Ito-kukuri', but the owner said it was better last week. When I asked if she knew what it was, she said "pink". Not an unhelpful answer, since it looks quite white today.

The corymbs are short-stalked, crowded in tight clusters. Broad ragged edged petals, though I can't say I noticed much in the way of darker veins. Maybe in the third-to-last photo.

 

Re: Ito-kukuri (or is it Temari?)

Where do people get these plants?!!!

 

Re: Ito-kukuri (or is it Temari?)

So is that a confirmation of the ID?

If it's 'Ito-kukuri', maybe the person who planted it worked at UBC, where the only other ones we know are.

 

Re: Ito-kukuri (or is it Temari?)

The new tree on 54th that I'm asking about is past its peak, so it's hard to compare with the 'Ito-kukuri' photos. I'm adding some photos from the UBC 'Ito-kukuri' today, which is at about the same stage as the the tree on 54th.

 

Douglas Justice, in an email to me, wrote:

Douglas, you know we have to change this sentence now on the Cherry Cultivars page on the festival's website

 

Here's the description from Ornamental Cherries of Vancouver, by UBCBG's Douglas Justice.


The UBC 'Ito-kukari' are gone now.