Utah serviceberry

Description:

Flowers of Amelanchier utahensis, a native woody shrub to small tree that is locally uncommon but widely distributed in the state. Ongoing research will better determine the relationship of A. utahensis and the closely related A. alnifolia. A. utahensis has smaller leaves and is more pubescent and has styles that are normally distinct to the base. The distinct styles can be seen here. While A. alnifolia usually has five but sometimes four united styles, A. utahensis usually has two or three that are distinct to the base, although western Great Basin plants are reported to have four (or five!) styles, compared to two or three from other areas. It turns out that the distribution of A. utahensis plants containing four or five is broader than that: in this picture where the location is at the far eastern edge of the Great Basin, you can see four styles in a number of these flowers. For plants with four or five styles, identification cannot be made based on that characteristic alone.May 4, 2013, Wasatch Front foothills, approx. 5400 ft. elevation, northern Salt Lake County, Utah