Prunus maritima
Prunus cerasifera
beach plum
cherry plum, myrobalan, myrobalan plum, purple leaf plum
with axillary end buds, densely hairy to glabrate.
with axillary end buds, glabrous.
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.
deciduous;
petiole 5–20 mm, glabrous except for a few hairs on adaxial surface, eglandular;
blade ovate, elliptic, or obovate, 3–7 × 1.5–3.5 cm, base obtuse, margins singly to doubly crenate-serrate, teeth blunt, glandular, apex obtuse to acute, abaxial surface hairy along midribs and veins, adaxial glabrous.
2–4-flowered, umbellate fascicles.
usually solitary flowers, sometimes 2-flowered fascicles.
5–15 mm, hairy.
(4–)10–18 mm, 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.
blooming before leaf emergence;
hypanthium campanulate, 2–4 mm, glabrous externally;
sepals reflexed to spreading, oblong-ovate, 2–4 mm, margins glandular-toothed to nearly entire, eciliate, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial hairy at bases;
petals white (reddish pink in cultivars), elliptic to suborbiculate, 7–14 mm;
ovaries glabrous.
red, yellow, dark blue, or purplish black, glaucous, globose, 11–18 mm, glabrous;
mesocarps fleshy;
stones ovoid, slightly flattened.
purple-red to yellow, sometimes glaucous, ovoid, ellipsoid, or globose, 15–30 mm, glabrous;
mesocarps fleshy;
stones ellipsoid to ovoid, ± to strongly flattened.
= 16.
= 16.
Prunus maritima
Prunus cerasifera
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.)
The purple-leaved, pink-flowered cultivars of Prunus cerasifera are especially popular for ornamental use. The earliest purple form was introduced into European gardens about 1880 by M. Pissard, gardener to the Shah of Iran. Prunus cerasifera is widely used as a rootstock for commercial plums.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
Go Botany, 
MD Biodiversity, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
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- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
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