Prunus maritima |
Prunus glandulosa |
|
---|---|---|
beach plum |
dwarf flowering almond, flowering almond |
|
Habit | Shrubs, suckering, 10–25 dm, not thorny. | Shrubs, suckering, 5–20 dm, not thorny. |
Twigs | with axillary end buds, densely hairy to glabrate. |
with terminal end buds, glabrous. |
Leaves | 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 1–6 mm, hairy on adaxial surface, eglandular; blade narrowly elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, 2.5–9 × 0.9–2.5 cm, base cuneate to obtuse, margins crenulate-serrulate, teeth blunt, glandular, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface glabrous or slightly hairy along midribs and veins, adaxial glabrous. |
Inflorescences | 2–4-flowered, umbellate fascicles. |
solitary flowers or 2-flowered fascicles. |
Pedicels | 5–15 mm, hairy. |
6–15 mm, glabrous or sparsely puberulent. |
Flowers | 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 at leaf emergence; hypanthium campanulate, 2–3 mm, glabrous or sparsely puberulent externally; sepals spreading to reflexed, ovate, 2.5–5 mm, margins glandular-toothed, ± ciliate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely puberulent; petals 25+, white or pink, elliptic to narrowly elliptic, 8–11 mm; ovaries glabrous. |
Drupes | red, yellow, dark blue, or purplish black, glaucous, globose, 11–18 mm, glabrous; mesocarps fleshy; stones ovoid, slightly flattened. |
reddish, subglobose, 10–15 mm, glabrous; mesocarps fleshy; stones subglobose, not flattened. |
2n | = 16. |
|
Prunus maritima |
Prunus glandulosa |
|
Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jun; fruiting Aug–Oct. | Flowering Mar–May. |
Habitat | Sand dunes, beaches, sandy fields, roadsides, coastal barrens | Roadsides, fencerows, abandoned plantings |
Elevation | 0–30 m (0–100 ft) | 0–400 m (0–1300 ft) |
Distribution |
CT; DE; MA; MD; ME; NH; NJ; NY; PA; RI; VA
|
IA; MI; NC; ON; e Asia (China, Japan) [Introduced in North America] |
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.) |
Double-flowered cultivars of Prunus glandulosa, which lack stamens and carpels, are commonly planted as foundation shrubs and in borders. Although the plants are attractive in bloom, some horticulturalists consider them of little ornamental value otherwise. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 9, p. 380. | FNA vol. 9, p. 377. |
Parent taxa | Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Amygdaleae > Prunus | Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Amygdaleae > Prunus |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | P. gravesii, P. maritima var. gravesii | |
Name authority | Marshall: Arbust. Amer., 112. (1785) | Thunberg: in J. A. Murray, Syst. Veg. ed. 14, 463. (1784) |
Web links |