| Cotinus obovatus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Cotinus obovatus at Aarhus Botanical Gardens | |
| Conservation status | |
 Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Anacardiaceae |
| Genus: | Cotinus |
| Species: | C. obovatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cotinus obovatus Raf. | |
| |
| Natural range of Cotinus obovatus | |
Cotinus obovatus syn. C. americanus, the American smoketree, chittamwood or American smokewood, is a rare species of flowering plant in the genus Cotinus of the family Anacardiaceae, native to scattered locations in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee. It is a deciduous, conical shrub growing to 10 m (33 ft) tall by 8 m (26 ft) broad, with oval leaves up to 12 cm (5 in) long. It produces panicles of pink-grey flowers in summer, and its foliage turns a brilliant scarlet in autumn; considered by many to be the most intense fall color of any tree. The smokey effect derives from the clusters of hairs on the spent flower stalks. It is highly sought after and cultivated in botanical gardens worldwide. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants.
The Latin specific epithet obovatus means "in the shape of an inverted egg", and refers to the broadly obovate shape of the leaves. The heartwood is a bright yellow. The species does not appear to be in danger of facing extinction in the wild.
References
- ^ IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group.; Botanic Gardens Conservation International; et al. (BGCI) (2020). "Cotinus obovatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T152909726A152909728. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T152909726A152909728.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- NRCS. "Cotinus obovatus". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 17 January 2016.
- ^ "Cotinus obovatus". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
- "RHS Plant Selector - Cotinus obovatus". Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
- Tripp, Kim E. (1994). "Considering Cotinus" (PDF). Arnoldia: 21–30.
External links
- [REDACTED] Media related to Cotinus obovatus at Wikimedia Commons
![[REDACTED]](https://u3vuiephb.global.ssl.fastly.net/File:Commons-logo.svg){kind=link}
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Cotinus obovatus |
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