Prunus hortulana |
Prunus maritima |
|
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Hortulan or wild goose plum, Hortulan plum |
beach plum |
|
Habit | Trees, rarely suckering, 40–100 dm, moderately thorny. | Shrubs, suckering, 10–25 dm, not thorny. |
Twigs | with axillary end buds, glabrous. |
with axillary end buds, densely hairy to glabrate. |
Leaves | 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. |
deciduous; petiole 3–11 mm, usually densely hairy, rarely hairy only on adaxial surface, usually eglandular, sometimes glandular distally, glands 1–2, discoid; blade elliptic, broadly elliptic, or obovate (orbiculate in gravesii clone), 3.5–7 × 2–4 cm, base cuneate to obtuse (rounded in gravesii clone), margins finely, usually singly, rarely doubly, serrulate, teeth sharp, usually eglandular, rarely glandular, apex acute to obtuse (rounded in gravesii clone), abaxial surface usually hairy, sometimes only on veins or glabrescent, adaxial rugose, glabrous. |
Inflorescences | 2–4-flowered, umbellate fascicles. |
2–4-flowered, umbellate fascicles. |
Pedicels | 8–20 mm, glabrous. |
5–15 mm, hairy. |
Flowers | 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. |
blooming before leaf emergence; hypanthium campanulate, 2.5–3.5 mm, hairy externally; sepals erect to spreading, ovate, 1.5–3.5 mm, margins entire, sometimes 2-fid at apices, ciliate, surfaces hairy; petals white, oblong-obovate, 3–8 mm; ovaries glabrous. |
Drupes | red to yellowish with white dots, not or only slightly glaucous, globose, 20–30(–40) mm, glabrous; mesocarps fleshy; stones ovoid-ellipsoid, ± flattened. |
red, yellow, dark blue, or purplish black, glaucous, globose, 11–18 mm, glabrous; mesocarps fleshy; stones ovoid, slightly flattened. |
2n | = 16. |
= 16. |
Prunus hortulana |
Prunus maritima |
|
Phenology | Flowering Apr–May; fruiting Aug–Sep. | Flowering Apr–Jun; fruiting Aug–Oct. |
Habitat | Roadside thickets, flood plains, open woodlands | Sand dunes, beaches, sandy fields, roadsides, coastal barrens |
Elevation | 50–500 m (200–1600 ft) | 0–30 m (0–100 ft) |
Distribution |
AR; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; MI; MO; NE; OH; OK; TN; VA; WV
|
CT; DE; MA; MD; ME; NH; NJ; NY; PA; RI; VA
|
Discussion | Prunus gravesii has been known from only a single locality since its description in 1897, and there may never have been more than a single, multistemmed individual. G. J. Anderson (1980) concluded that it is a mutant derivative of P. maritima. In the study by Anderson, it differed with statistical significance from other specimens of P. maritima for only 4 of 38 morphological features measured, and even for those four the range in values between the two taxa overlapped. Their leaf flavonoid chromatograms were identical. From a conservation standpoint it is of value to designate the orbiculate-leaved gravesii clone as a distinct taxonomic variety, for which the name P. maritima var. gravesii (Small) G. J. Anderson is available. Once listed by the state of Connecticut as endangered, it is now believed to be extinct in the wild. Throughout much of its original range P. maritima is threatened by oceanside development. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 9, p. 382. | FNA vol. 9, p. 380. |
Parent taxa | Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Amygdaleae > Prunus | Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Amygdaleae > Prunus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | P. hortulana var. mineri | P. gravesii, P. maritima var. gravesii |
Name authority | L. H. Bailey: Gard. & Forest 5: 90. (1892) | Marshall: Arbust. Amer., 112. (1785) |
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