Cotoneaster sternianus Stern's Cotoneaster

A medium-sized, erect, evergreen shrub with arched branches and oval leaves up to 5cm long with pointed tips that are wrinkled on the upper surface and which have deeply impressed veins and invcurved margins. The leaves are white-felted on the lower surface. It is a fairly recent introduction as a garden plant but it is becoming naturalised widely in the British Flora. It is often confused with Franchet's Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster franchetii) differing from it in its larger leaves and the sepals which have an abrupt point which is hairless. It is becoming increasing common in West Glamorgan particularly in open mosaic sites. It is tetraploid (2n=68) and apomictic

Neophyte