Prunus domestica
Prunus tomentosa
common garden plum, cultivated plum, European plum, prunier damas
Manchu cherry, Nanking cherry
with axillary end buds, usually hairy, sometimes glabrous.
with terminal end buds, densely hairy.
deciduous;
petiole 6–20 mm, glabrous or hairy on adaxial surface or both surfaces, eglandular or glandular distally or on margins at bases of blades, glands 1–3;
blade elliptic to obovate, (2.5–)4–7(–9) × 1.5–5 cm, base cuneate to obtuse, margins singly to doubly crenate-serrate, teeth blunt, glandular, apex usually acute to abruptly acuminate, sometimes obtuse, abaxial surface hairy (especially along veins), adaxial glabrous or midribs hairy.
deciduous;
petiole 2–7 mm, hairy, eglandular;
blade obovate to oblong-elliptic, 3–6(–7.5) × 1.7–3.5(–4.7) cm, base obtuse to rounded, margins coarsely, singly to doubly serrate, teeth sharp, usually eglandular, sometimes glandular, glands dark, spheric, apex abruptly short-acuminate to acute, abaxial surface tomentose, adaxial rugose, hairy, sometimes sparsely so.
solitary flowers or 2-flowered fascicles.
usually solitary flowers, sometimes 2-flowered fascicles.
(2–)10–20 mm, glabrous or hairy.
0–5 mm, hairy.
blooming before or at leaf emergence;
hypanthium cupulate, 3–5 mm, glabrous externally;
sepals spreading to reflexed, ovate-elliptic to lanceolate, 3.5–6 mm, margins glandular-toothed, ciliate, surfaces glabrous or hairy;
petals white, oblong to suborbiculate, 7–14 mm;
ovaries glabrous.
blooming before or at leaf emergence;
hypanthium tubular, 3.5–6 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy (especially at bases) externally;
sepals spreading, ovate, 2.5–3.5 mm, margins serrate, sometimes glandular, abaxial surface hairy, adaxial glabrous;
petals white to pale pink (pink in bud), obovate or elliptic to suborbiculate, 9–13 mm;
ovaries glabrous proximally, villous distally.
blue-black (green, yellow, or red in cultivars), ellipsoid to globose, 15–35 mm, glabrous;
mesocarps fleshy;
stones ovoid to ellipsoid, strongly flattened.
red, globose, 8–15 mm, sparsely hairy;
mesocarps fleshy;
stones ellipsoid, not flattened.
= 48.
= 16.
Prunus domestica
Prunus tomentosa
The distinctions given in the literature between Prunus domestica and P. insititia, and which cultivated varieties are derived from each of them, are contradictory and confusing. After examining plants from North America, it seems best to treat these Eurasian introductions as one variable species without designation of infraspecific taxa.
European plums are grown along the West Coast, primarily in California, for prunes and other processed food. They are also grown in the Great Lakes region of Ontario, Michigan, and New York for both prunes and the local fresh market. Most of the commercial fresh plum market is supplied by fruits of the Japanese plum, Prunus salicina, and its hybrid derivatives, which include genetic material from native American species, for example, P. americana, P. angustifolia, and P. hortulana.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Prunus tomentosa is cultivated as a landscape plant in hedges and as a background shrub because of its spreading habit and pale pink to white petals. It produces edible fruits that are said to make excellent jelly and juice.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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