Cotinus

Cotinus
Smoke Tree
Smoketree with "Smokey" look.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Anacardiaceae
Genus: Cotinus
Adans.
Species

Cotinus coggygria
Cotinus obovatus

Smoketree or Smoke bush (Cotinus /koʊˈtaɪnəs/)[1] is a genus of two species of flowering plants in the family Anacardiaceae, closely related to the sumacs (Rhus).

Contents

Characteristics

They are large shrubs or small trees, native to the warm temperate Northern Hemisphere. The leaves are deciduous, alternate, simple oval shape, 3-13 cm long. The flowers are clustered in a large open terminal panicles 15-30 cm long with a fluffy grayish-buff appearance resembling a cloud of smoke over the plant, from which the name derives. The fruit is a small drupe with a single seed. Often classified in Rhus in the past, they are distinguished by the leaves being simple (not pinnate) and the 'smoke-like' fluffy flower heads.

Growth

The American Smoketree (Cotinus obovatus, syn. Rhus cotinoides) is native to the southeastern United States, from Tennessee south to Alabama and west to eastern Texas. It is a larger plant, frequently becoming a small tree between 3 to 5 meters (10 to 15 feet) tall, with a trunk from 20 to 35 centimeters (8 to 14 inches) in diameter. The leaves are also larger, 6-13 cm long; it also has varied but very bright fall color, usually brighter than the Eurasian species. The flower heads are usually sparser than in C. coggygria.

Cultivation and uses

The smoke trees, particularly C. coggygria, are popular garden shrubs. Several bronze or purple-leaved cultivars of C. coggygria have been selected, with warm pink inflorescences set against purple-black foliage; the commonest in commerce are 'Notcutt's Variety' and 'Royal Purple'. When brought into cultivation together, the two species will form hybrids; some garden cultivars are of this parentage.

Cultivation is best in dry, infertile soils, which keeps the growth habit more compact and also improves the autumn colour; when planted in fertile soil, they become large, coarse and also tend to be short-lived, succumbing to verticillium wilt disease. Both species can be coppiced in early spring, to produce first-year shoots up to 2 m tall with large handsome leaves, but no "smoke".

Gallery

References

  1. ^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Cotinus — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda ? Árbol del Humo Cotinus coggygria cabezas florales con frutos y gotas de rocío …   Wikipedia Español

  • Cotinus — Cotinus …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Cotinus —   [griechisch kótinos »wilder Ölbaum« (aus seinen Zweigen wurden die Siegeskränze geflochten)], die Pflanzengattung Perückenstrauch …   Universal-Lexikon

  • COTINUS — Graece κότινος, occurrit apud Plin. l. 16. c. 18. et oleastrum notat, e quo Olympionicis olim corona plectebatur. Nempe non ex quovis oleastro id fiebat, sed ex illa singulari tantum arbore, quae in hoc summâ curâ asservabatur, ut materiam… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Cotinus — cog …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Cotinus — pūkenis statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Anakardinių (Anacardiaceae) šeimos augalų gentis (Cotinus). atitikmenys: lot. Cotinus angl. smoke tree; wig tree vok. Perückenbaum; Perückenstrauch rus. скумпия lenk. perukowiec …   Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

  • Cotinus — noun smoke trees • Syn: ↑genus Cotinus • Hypernyms: ↑dicot genus, ↑magnoliopsid genus • Member Holonyms: ↑Anacardiaceae, ↑family Anacardiaceae, ↑sumac family …   Useful english dictionary

  • Cotinus — ID 21851 Symbol Key COTIN Common Name smoketree Family Anacardiaceae Category Dicot Division Magnoliophyta US Nativity N/A US/NA Plant Yes State Distribution AL, AR, CT, GA, IL, KY, MA, MD, MO, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX, UT, VT Growth Habit …   USDA Plant Characteristics

  • Cotinus obovatus — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda ? Árbol del Humo Cotinus.obovatus Clasificación ci …   Wikipedia Español

  • Cotinus coggygria —   Árbol de las pelucas Cotinus coggygria …   Wikipedia Español

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