Flora of North America species comparison

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Prunus spinosa

Prunus laurocerasus

blackthorn, blackthorn plum, sloe, sloe cherry

cherry-laurel, common cherry laurel, hedge cherry laurel, laurel cherry
Habit Shrubs, suckering, 10–40 dm, thorny. Shrubs or trees, sometimes suckering, 20–60(–100) dm, not thorny.
Twigs

with axillary end buds, hairy.

with terminal end buds, glabrous.
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.

persistent;

petiole 5–15 mm, glabrous, eglandular;

blade elliptic to obovate, 6–18 × 3–7 cm, base cuneate to obtuse, margins remotely serrulate or nearly entire, teeth blunt, glandular, apex abruptly short-acuminate, apicula acute, surfaces glabrous, abaxial glandular, glands 1–several, proximal, flat, circular to oval.
Inflorescences

usually solitary flowers, sometimes 2-flowered fascicles.

26–32-flowered, racemes;

central axes (35–)55–130 mm, leafless at bases.
Pedicels

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

1–5 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.

blooming before leaf emergence;

hypanthium cupulate, 3–4 mm, glabrous externally;

sepals spreading, triangular, 0.7–1.2 mm, margins usually entire, sometimes with deciduous glands, ciliate in spots, surfaces glabrous or hairy;

petals white, obovate or broadly elliptic to suborbiculate, 3–5 mm;

ovaries glabrous.
Drupes

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

mesocarps fleshy;

stones subglobose, ± flattened.

deep purple-red to nearly black, ovoid to conic-ovoid, 13–17 mm, glabrous;

mesocarps fleshy to leathery;

stones ovoid, not flattened.
2n

= 32.

Prunus spinosa

Prunus laurocerasus
Phenology Flowering Mar–May; fruiting Aug–Sep. Flowering Mar–May; fruiting Aug–Nov.
Habitat Roadsides Riparian thickets, shaded ravines, understory of urban and second-growth forests
Elevation 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft) 0–600 m (0–2000 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
CA; OR; WA; BC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Flowering specimens of Prunus laurocerasus with small leaves and entire margins that otherwise resemble P. caroliniana can be identified by their larger hypanthia and longer petals. In fruit, the stone is much harder in P. laurocerasus and does not split open upon drying; the flesh around the stone is thicker and more succulent.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 376. FNA vol. 9, p. 362.
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. geniculata, P. glandulosa, P. gracilis, P. havardii, P. hortulana, P. ilicifolia, 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) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 474. (1753)
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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