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Catalina cherry, evergreen cherry, holly leaf cherry, islay

Yoshino cherry

Habit Shrubs or trees, sometimes suckering, 10–150 dm, not thorny. Trees, not suckering, 40–80(–160) dm, not thorny.
Twigs

with terminal end buds, glabrous.

with terminal end buds, sparsely hairy.

Leaves

persistent;

petiole 3–25 mm, glabrous, eglandular;

blade oblong-ovate to ovate-lanceolate or ovate to suborbiculate, 1.6–12 × 1.2–5(–7) cm, base usually broadly rounded to subcordate, sometimes obtuse, margins spinose-dentate to spinose-serrulate or entire, sometimes undulate, teeth sharp, callus-tipped, sometimes glandular at leaf base, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces glabrous, abaxial eglandular, if glands present, restricted to margins.

deciduous;

petiole 10–20 mm, hairy, sometimes glandular distally, glands 1–2;

blade elliptic-ovate to obovate, 5–12 × 2.5–7 cm, base rounded, margins doubly serrate, teeth aristate, glandular, apex acuminate, abaxial surface hairy along midribs and veins, adaxial glabrous.

Inflorescences

15–40-flowered, racemes;

central axes 30–80 mm, leafless at bases.

2–6-flowered, corymbs;

central axes 4–8(–20) mm.

Pedicels

1–5 mm, glabrous.

15–25 mm (subtended by leafy bracts), hairy.

Flowers

blooming before leaf emergence;

hypanthium cupulate, 2–3 mm, glabrous externally;

sepals erect to spreading, triangular, 0.7–1.2 mm, margins entire, surfaces usually glabrous, rarely with scattered hairs;

petals white to yellowish, elliptic, obovate, or suborbiculate, 1–3 mm;

ovaries glabrous.

blooming before leaf emergence;

hypanthium tubular, 7–8 mm, hairy externally;

sepals spreading, ovate-lanceolate, 4–5 mm, margins glandular-toothed, abaxial surface hairy, adaxial sparsely hairy;

petals white or pink, broadly elliptic to obovate, 13–15 mm;

ovaries glabrous.

Drupes

dark red to purple or blue-black, obovoid or ellipsoid to globose, 12–25 mm, glabrous;

mesocarps leathery;

stones subglobose to ellipsoid, ± flattened.

black, subglobose, 7–12 mm, glabrous;

mesocarps fleshy;

stones ellipsoid, not flattened.

2n

= 16 (Japan).

Prunus ilicifolia

Prunus yedoensis

Phenology Flowering Mar–Apr; fruiting May.
Habitat Abandoned plantings, disturbed sites
Elevation 0–200 m (0–700 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; DC; WA; e Asia (Japan) [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Leaf blades ovate to suborbiculate, margins spinose-dentate to spinose-serrulate; petioles 3–10 mm.
var. ilicifolia
1. Leaf blades oblong-ovate to ovate-lanceolate, margins usually entire, sometimes remotely spinose-serrulate; petioles 8–25 mm.
var. occidentalis
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 362. FNA vol. 9, p. 369.
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. fremontii, P. geniculata, P. glandulosa, P. gracilis, P. havardii, P. hortulana, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
P. ilicifolia var. ilicifolia, P. ilicifolia var. occidentalis
Synonyms Cerasus ilicifolia
Name authority (Nuttall ex Hooker & Arnott) D. Dietrich: Syn. Pl. 3: 43. (1842) Matsumura: Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 15: 100. (1901)
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