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desert apricot

Hortulan or wild goose plum, Hortulan plum

Habit Shrubs, suckering unknown, much branched, 10–40 dm, thorny. Trees, rarely suckering, 40–100 dm, moderately thorny.
Twigs

with axillary end buds, glabrous.

with axillary end buds, glabrous.

Leaves

deciduous;

petiole 1–7 mm, glabrous, eglandular;

blade elliptic, ovate, or suborbiculate, 0.6–3 × 0.5–2 cm, base obtuse to rounded, subcordate, or truncate, margins obscurely crenulate, crenulate-serrulate, or serrate, teeth blunt, glandular, apex usually obtuse to rounded, sometimes emarginate, surfaces glabrous.

deciduous;

petiole 6–20 mm, hairy on adaxial surface, usually glandular distally, glands 1–5;

blade narrowly elliptic, lanceolate, oblanceolate, or oblong-obovate, (5–)7–11(–13) × (2–)3–5.5 cm, base obtuse to rounded, margins singly to doubly crenate-serrate, teeth blunt, glandular, glands inconspicuous, blackish, apex long-acuminate, abaxial surface ± hairy along midribs and veins, adaxial glabrous or with hairs along midribs.

Inflorescences

1–3-flowered, umbellate fascicles.

2–4-flowered, umbellate fascicles.

Pedicels

2–12 mm, glabrous.

8–20 mm, glabrous.

Flowers

blooming at leaf emergence;

hypanthium campanulate, 2–4 mm, glabrous externally;

sepals erect-spreading, semicircular to ovate, 1.2–4 mm, margins glandular-toothed, ciliate, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial hairy;

petals usually white, sometimes pinkish rose, elliptic, obovate, or suborbiculate, 3–10 mm;

ovaries hairy.

blooming before or at leaf emergence;

hypanthium campanulate, 2–3 mm, glabrous externally;

sepals erect to reflexed, ovate, 1.5–3 mm, margins glandular-toothed, abaxial surface glabrous or sparsely hairy, adaxial densely hairy at bases;

petals white, obovate, 4–9 mm;

ovaries glabrous.

Drupes

yellowish, ellipsoid-ovoid, 8–15 mm, densely puberulent;

mesocarps leathery to dry (splitting);

stones ovoid, ± flattened.

red to yellowish with white dots, not or only slightly glaucous, globose, 20–30(–40) mm, glabrous;

mesocarps fleshy;

stones ovoid-ellipsoid, ± flattened.

2n

= 16.

Prunus fremontii

Prunus hortulana

Phenology Flowering Jan–Mar; fruiting Apr–Jun. Flowering Apr–May; fruiting Aug–Sep.
Habitat Dry, sandy or rocky slopes, canyons, desert, chaparral, pinyon-juniper woodlands Roadside thickets, flood plains, open woodlands
Elevation 200–1500 m (700–4900 ft) 50–500 m (200–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MI; MO; NE; OH; OK; TN; VA; WV
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Prunus fremontii is known only from the western edge of the Sonoran Desert.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 373. FNA vol. 9, p. 382.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Amygdaleae > Prunus Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Amygdaleae > Prunus
Sibling taxa
P. americana, P. andersonii, P. angustifolia, P. armeniaca, P. avium, P. caroliniana, P. cerasifera, P. cerasus, P. domestica, P. dulcis, P. emarginata, P. eremophila, P. fasciculata, P. geniculata, P. glandulosa, P. gracilis, P. havardii, P. hortulana, P. ilicifolia, P. laurocerasus, P. lusitanica, P. mahaleb, P. maritima, P. mexicana, P. minutiflora, P. murrayana, P. myrtifolia, P. nigra, P. padus, P. pensylvanica, P. persica, P. pumila, P. rivularis, P. serotina, P. speciosa, P. spinosa, P. subcordata, P. subhirtella, P. texana, P. tomentosa, P. umbellata, P. virginiana, P. yedoensis
P. americana, P. andersonii, P. angustifolia, P. armeniaca, P. avium, P. caroliniana, P. cerasifera, P. cerasus, P. domestica, P. dulcis, P. emarginata, P. eremophila, P. fasciculata, P. fremontii, P. geniculata, P. glandulosa, P. gracilis, P. havardii, P. ilicifolia, P. laurocerasus, P. lusitanica, P. mahaleb, P. maritima, P. mexicana, P. minutiflora, P. murrayana, P. myrtifolia, P. nigra, P. padus, P. pensylvanica, P. persica, P. pumila, P. rivularis, P. serotina, P. speciosa, P. spinosa, P. subcordata, P. subhirtella, P. texana, P. tomentosa, P. umbellata, P. virginiana, P. yedoensis
Synonyms P. eriogyna P. hortulana var. mineri
Name authority S. Watson: in W. H. Brewer et al., Bot. California 2: 442. (1880) L. H. Bailey: Gard. & Forest 5: 90. (1892)
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