Aronia Medikus. Subfamily: Amygdaloideae. Tribe: Maleae. Subtribe: Malinae. Chokeberry.

Key to Aronia

A genus of 3 species, of e. North America (south into Central America). In North American floristic literature, Aronia has sometimes been treated as a component of Pyrus, Sorbus, or Photinia (see synonymy below). Robertson et al. (1991) included Aronia in Photinia. Kalkman in Kubitzki (2004) agrees that Aronia and Photinia should be combined, but points out that Aronia is the older name and therefore must be used for the combined genus. Guo et al. (2011) and Lo & Donoghue (2012) separate Photinia, Aronia, and Pourthiaea at generic rank, a decision followed here; while Aronia and Pourthiaea are closely related (sister), Photinia is not closely related to either and is sister to Pyracantha (Lo & Donoghue 2012).

ID notes: All our species of Aronia can be distinguished from other shrubs in our flora by the presence of several dark (usually purplish-black) glandular trichomes on the upper surface of the midrib, mostly toward the base of the leaf.

Ref: Guo et al. (2011); Hardin (1973); Kalkman In Kubitzki et al. (2004); Lo & Donoghue (2012); Pankhurst (2014) In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2014); Robertson (1974); Robertson et al. (1991). Show full citations.

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