What Does It Look Like?
What is it?
Broad-leaf Firethorn Pyracantha fortuneana [as Pyracantha crenatoserrata ] is an evergreen thorny erect shrub that grows to 3–4 m in height. Lateral branchlets from the main branches form short spines. The twigs or young growth has some brown appressed long hairs. The leaves have a petiole (leaf-stalk 0.2-0.5 cm long sometimes to 1 cm long. Leaves are obovate (shaped like a section through the long axis of an egg and attached by the thinner end) to obovate-oblong, 2.5–6 cm in length and 1–2 cm wide. The upper leaf surface is glossy and dark green, with both upper and lower surfaces hairless. The leaf margins are finely serrated with incurved teeth, and the leaf tip is obtuse (rounded) to slightly emarginate (with a small indentation at the tip) or sometimes shortly apiculate (with a small sharp point at the tip). The leaf-base is cuneate (wedge-shaped).
The white flowers are in loose clusters 3–4 cm in diameter, borne on short shoots, to 3 cm long. The peduncles (stalk of the flower-cluster), pedicels (individual flower-stalk) and calyx (the green outer whorl of a flower) are glabrous (without hairs) to slightly hairy, and if slightly hairy can be similar in fruit. The pedicels (flower-stalks) are about 1 cm long. The white flowers are about 1 cm in diameter.
The fruit (pomes) are orange-red to dark red, rounded and slightly flattened on both ends (sub-globose), 6–8 mm across (Harden & Rodd 1990; Gu & Spongberg 2003; Navie 2004).
For further information and assistance with identification of Broad-leaf Firethorn contact the herbarium in your state or territory.
Flower colour
White
Growth form (weed type/habit)
Shrub
Where it currently grows? Preferred habitat
Broad-leaf Firethorn is a weed of open woodlands, forests, urban bushland, grasslands and riparian areas. This species occurs mostly in temperate and sub-tropical regions (Navie 2004).
Are there similar species?
Broad-leaf Firethorn is similar to two common weedy Pyracantha species found in Australia. It can be distinguished from Orange Firethorn (P. angustifolia) by its serrated leaf margins, and from Scarlet Firethorn (P. coccinea) by its obtuse to slightly emarginate leaf tips (Navie 2004).
Broad-leaf firethorn (Pyracantha fortuneana) has relatively broad leaves (10–20 mm wide) with almost entire or slightly toothed (i.e. crenulate) margins. These leaves have rounded tips and undersides that are hairless (i.e. glabrous). Its mature fruit are bright red in colour and are usually hairless (i.e. glabrous).
Broad-leaf Firethorn can also be distinguished by the following differences:
Orange firethorn (Pyracantha angustifolia) has relatively narrow leaves (5–13 mm wide) with entire margins. These leaves have rounded tips and undersides that are densely covered with white hairs (i.e. tomentose). Its mature fruit are yellow to deep orange in colour and are usually covered in white hairs (i.e. pubescent).
Scarlet firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea) has relatively broad leaves (10–20 mm wide) with finely toothed (i.e. crenulate) margins. These leaves have pointed tips and undersides that are hairless (i.e. glabrous) or slightly hairy (i.e. puberulent). Its mature fruit are bright red or scarlet in colour and are usually hairless (i.e. glabrous).
Nepalese firethorn (Pyracantha crenulata) has relatively narrow leaves (6–10 mm wide) with sharply toothed (i.e. serrate) margins. These leaves have pointed tips and undersides that are hairless (i.e. glabrous). Its fruit are bright red or dark red in colour and are usually hairless (i.e. glabrous).
Roger's firethorn (Pyracantha rogersiana) has relatively narrow leaves (5–10 mm wide) with bluntly toothed (i.e. crenate) margins. These leaves have rounded tips and undersides that are hairless (i.e. glabrous). Its fruit are yellow to reddish-orange in colour and are usually hairless (i.e. glabrous).
Firethorns (Pyracantha species) can also be confused with the Cotoneasters (Cotoneaster species) and Hawthorns (Crataegus species). Cotoneasters can be distinguished from Firethorns by the lack of spines on their stems, and Hawthorns can be distinguished by their deeply lobed leaves (Navie 2004).
