Prunus maritima |
Prunus minutiflora |
|
---|---|---|
beach plum |
Texas almond |
|
Habit | Shrubs, suckering, 10–25 dm, not thorny. | Shrubs, suckering, much branched, 10–20 dm, weakly thorny. |
Twigs | with axillary end buds, densely hairy to glabrate. |
with axillary end buds, canescent. |
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 1–2(–6) mm, glabrous, eglandular; blade elliptic or obovate, 0.5–1.6(–3.5) × 0.3–0.8(–2.1) cm, base cuneate, margins usually entire, sometimes irregularly serrulate (sometimes dentate on long shoots), teeth sharp to blunt, eglandular, some callus-tipped, apex usually obtuse to rounded, sometimes apiculate, surfaces glabrous. |
Inflorescences | 2–4-flowered, umbellate fascicles. |
solitary flowers. |
Pedicels | 5–15 mm, hairy. |
0–2 mm, 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. |
unisexual, plants dioecious, blooming at leaf emergence; hypanthium campanulate, 2–3 mm, glabrous externally; sepals spreading, triangular, 0.7–1.5 mm, margins entire, surfaces glabrous; petals white, obovate, 2–3.5 mm; ovaries hairy. |
Drupes | red, yellow, dark blue, or purplish black, glaucous, globose, 11–18 mm, glabrous; mesocarps fleshy; stones ovoid, slightly flattened. |
reddish brown, globose to ovoid, 9–12 mm, puberulent; hypanthium tardily deciduous; mesocarps leathery to dry (slightly splitting); stones ovoid to subglobose, not flattened. |
2n | = 16. |
|
Prunus maritima |
Prunus minutiflora |
|
Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jun; fruiting Aug–Oct. | Flowering Feb–Mar; fruiting May–Jun. |
Habitat | Sand dunes, beaches, sandy fields, roadsides, coastal barrens | Dry rocky streambeds and uplands, limestone hills, ledges |
Elevation | 0–30 m (0–100 ft) | 100–700 m (300–2300 ft) |
Distribution |
CT; DE; MA; MD; ME; NH; NJ; NY; PA; RI; VA
|
TX |
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.) |
Prunus minutiflora is a rare species limited to central Texas around the Edwards Plateau. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 9, p. 380. | FNA vol. 9, p. 370. |
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) | Engelmann ex A. Gray: Boston J. Nat. Hist. 6: 185. (1850) |
Web links |