Cotoneaster aitchisonii C.K.Schneid.

(Fig. 5)

Illustriertes Handbuch der Laubholzkunde, Band 1: 749 (Scheneider 1906).

TYPUS. — Afghanistan. Kuram district, 5.VII.1880, J. E. T. Aitchison 277 (lecto-, K; iso-, A) .

SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — Iran. Province Khorasan, Bojnord, 37°50’31”N, 57°31’25”E, 1593 m, 03.X.2009, Memariani, Zangooei & Arjmandi 43351, 43353 (FUMH); Chenaran, Ferizi, 36°4’49”N, 58°4’43”E, 2050 m, 31.X.2009, Arjmandi & Zangooei 43442 (FUMH) .

NOTE

The closest morphologically relative of C. aitchisonii is C. suavis Pojark. (Raei Niaki 2019). They share many similar characters, e.g., habit, the large leaves with a villose lower surface, long petiole (c. 4-12), dense inflorescence (7-15 flowers), and navel open in fruit. C. aitchisonii can be readily separated from C. suavis by its obovate leaves (vs elliptic- rhombic), leaves apex rounded to acute (Fig. 5A, B) (vs obtuse), red fruit (vs black), succulent fruits of 7-10 mm diam., (vs non-succulent of 6-8 mm diam. fruit) (Fig. 5). This species occurs in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir (Fryer & Hylmö 2009) and Iran.