Flora of North America species comparison

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Prunus spinosa

Prunus geniculata

blackthorn, blackthorn plum, sloe, sloe cherry

scrub plum
Habit Shrubs, suckering, 10–40 dm, thorny. Shrubs, sometimes suckering, much branched, 5–10(–20) dm, thorny.
Twigs

with axillary end buds, hairy.

with axillary end buds, hairy.
Leaves

deciduous;

petiole 4–7 mm, hairy, eglandular;

blade elliptic to obovate, 1.5–4 × 1–2.2 cm, base obtuse to rounded, margins crenulate-serrulate, teeth blunt, often glandular, apex acute to obtuse, abaxial surface hairy (especially along midribs and veins), adaxial glabrate.

deciduous;

petiole 3–6 mm, hairy on adaxial surface, sometimes glandular distally, glands 1–2, discoid;

blade elliptic, 0.8–2.5 × 0.4–1.3 cm, base obtuse to rounded, margins crenulate-serrulate in distal 1/2, nearly entire on smaller leaves, teeth blunt, glandular, apex obtuse to rounded, mucronate, surfaces glabrous.
Inflorescences

usually solitary flowers, sometimes 2-flowered fascicles.

solitary flowers.
Pedicels

0.5–5(–8) mm, usually glabrous, rarely hairy.

0–3 mm, glabrous.
Flowers

blooming before leaf emergence;

hypanthium cupulate, 1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous externally;

sepals spreading, oblong, 1.5–2.5 mm, margins glandular-toothed, surfaces glabrous or adaxially hairy at bases;

petals white, elliptic, 4–8 mm;

ovaries glabrous.

usually bisexual with some staminate flowers on same plant, blooming before leaf emergence;

hypanthium campanulate, 2–3 mm, glabrous externally;

sepals erect to spreading, ovate, 1–1.5 mm, margins entire, ciliate, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial hairy;

petals white, elliptic, 2 mm;

ovaries glabrous.
Drupes

bluish black, globose, 10–15 mm, glabrous;

mesocarps fleshy;

stones subglobose, ± flattened.

reddish, ovoid, 12–25 mm, glabrous;

mesocarps fleshy;

stones ovoid, ± flattened.
2n

= 32.

Prunus spinosa

Prunus geniculata
Phenology Flowering Mar–May; fruiting Aug–Sep. Flowering Jan–Feb; fruiting Mar–May.
Habitat Roadsides Longleaf pine-turkey oak sandhills, pine-evergreen oak scrub
Elevation 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft) 10–50 m (0–200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; ID; MA; ME; MI; NY; OR; WA; BC; NS; ON; Eurasia; n Africa [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

As past flora writers (C. L. Hitchcock et al. 1955–1969; E. G. Voss 1972–1996) have noted, the distinctions between Prunus spinosa and P. domestica are not clear. Some researchers consider the hexaploid P. domestica to have been derived from the tetraploid P. spinosa, often in a scenario involving hybridization with P. cerasifera. It should not be surprising that some of the characters used in keys to separate these three taxa (spininess, indument, leaf size, pedicel length, numbers of flowers per bud) are subject to variation within each species and overlap among the species.

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

Of conservation concern.

Prunus geniculata is known only from the Lake Wales Ridge in central Florida. Much of its original habitat has been lost to residential, recreational, and agricultural development; it received federal listing as an endangered species in 1987.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 376. FNA vol. 9, p. 378.
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. 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. 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. 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, P. yedoensis
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 475. (1753) R. M. Harper: Torreya 11: 67. (1911)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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