Volume 25 Number 1 Article 2 Pages: 3-10
Year 1971 Month 1
Title: A Description of Amelanchier Species in Regard to Cultivar Development
Authors: W.S. Miller and C. Stushnoff
Citation
Abstract:
Nearly two dozen species of Amelanchier
have been discovered in North
America, Europe, North Africa, and
Eastern Asia.
One or more species
have been found in every Canadian
province and every state of the United
States.
Because of its widespread occurrence,
almost totally in the wild,
many names have been attached to
this genus.
Some of the more common
names used locally are serviceberry,
sarvis, maycherry, juneberry, shadblow,
saskatoon, sugar pear, lancewood,
boxwood, Canadian medlar,
bilberry, snowy mespilus, and many
others (7).
This fruit is presently in the minor
fruit category, that is, fruits that are
not important in the fruit industry.
However, the blueberry was also included
in this category until Dr.
F.V.
Covilla took an interest in it and developed
it into a fruit that is now the
basis of a prosperous industry.
One of
the drawbacks to blueberry production
in the Great Plains region is its
requirement for an acid soil.
It also
lacks complete winter hardiness.
The
Amelanchier, on the other hand, grows
well in high lime soils and is hardy
farther north than the blueberry.
Breeding work by Harris (4) at the
Beaverlodge station, Alberta, Canada,
has shown a possibility for future
commercial production of this fruit.
The purpose of this paper is to assemble
and compare the various species'
characteristics and to relate these
to approaches which can be used in
breeding programs.
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