Cotinus obovatus
Species of flowering plant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cotinus obovatus syn. C. americanus, the American smoketree,[2] 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.[3] It is highly sought after and cultivated in botanical gardens worldwide.[4][5] It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants.[6]
| Cotinus obovatus | |
|---|---|
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| Cotinus obovatus at Aarhus Botanical Gardens | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| 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 | |
The Latin specific epithet obovatus means "in the shape of an inverted egg", and refers to the broadly obovate shape of the leaves.[3] The heartwood is a bright yellow. The species does not appear to be in danger of facing extinction in the wild.[1]
