Prunus maritima |
Prunus yedoensis |
|
---|---|---|
beach plum |
Yoshino cherry |
|
Habit | Shrubs, suckering, 10–25 dm, not thorny. | Trees, not suckering, 40–80(–160) dm, not thorny. |
Twigs | with axillary end buds, densely hairy to glabrate. |
with terminal end buds, sparsely hairy. |
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 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 | 2–4-flowered, umbellate fascicles. |
2–6-flowered, corymbs; central axes 4–8(–20) mm. |
Pedicels | 5–15 mm, hairy. |
15–25 mm (subtended by leafy bracts), hairy. |
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 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 | red, yellow, dark blue, or purplish black, glaucous, globose, 11–18 mm, glabrous; mesocarps fleshy; stones ovoid, slightly flattened. |
black, subglobose, 7–12 mm, glabrous; mesocarps fleshy; stones ellipsoid, not flattened. |
2n | = 16. |
= 16 (Japan). |
Prunus maritima |
Prunus yedoensis |
|
Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jun; fruiting Aug–Oct. | Flowering Mar–Apr; fruiting May. |
Habitat | Sand dunes, beaches, sandy fields, roadsides, coastal barrens | Abandoned plantings, disturbed sites |
Elevation | 0–30 m (0–100 ft) | 0–200 m (0–700 ft) |
Distribution |
CT; DE; MA; MD; ME; NH; NJ; NY; PA; RI; VA
|
CA; DC; WA; e Asia (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.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 9, p. 380. | FNA vol. 9, p. 369. |
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) | Matsumura: Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 15: 100. (1901) |
Web links |
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