Prunus subcordata
Prunus ilicifolia
Klamath plum, Oregon plum, Pacific plum, Sierra or Klamath or Pacific plume, Sierra plum, western plum
Catalina cherry, evergreen cherry, holly leaf cherry, islay
with axillary end buds, glabrous or hairy.
with terminal end buds, glabrous.
deciduous;
petiole 4–18 mm, glabrous or hairy, usually glandular distally, glands 1–3, discoid;
blade elliptic, oblong-ovate, or suborbiculate, 2–5(–6.5) × 1.3–3.5(–4.5) cm, base rounded or subcordate, margins singly to doubly serrulate, teeth blunt, glandular, apex usually obtuse to rounded, rarely acute, abaxial surface glabrous or hairy, adaxial glabrous or appressed-hairy.
persistent;
petiole 3–25 mm, glabrous, eglandular;
blade oblong-ovate to ovate-lanceolate or ovate to suborbiculate, 1.6–12 × 1.2–5(–7) cm, base usually broadly rounded to subcordate, sometimes obtuse, margins spinose-dentate to spinose-serrulate or entire, sometimes undulate, teeth sharp, callus-tipped, sometimes glandular at leaf base, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces glabrous, abaxial eglandular, if glands present, restricted to margins.
2–5-flowered, umbellate fascicles.
15–40-flowered, racemes;
central axes 30–80 mm, leafless at bases.
5–15 mm, glabrous or hairy.
1–5 mm, glabrous.
blooming at leaf emergence;
hypanthium campanulate, 2–3.5 mm, glabrous or hairy externally;
sepals broadly spreading to reflexed, obovate, 2.2–4(–5) mm, margins glandular-toothed, sometimes obscurely so, sometimes ciliate, surfaces glabrous or hairy;
petals white, oblong-obovate, 5–10 mm;
ovaries usually glabrous, rarely hairy.
blooming before leaf emergence;
hypanthium cupulate, 2–3 mm, glabrous externally;
sepals erect to spreading, triangular, 0.7–1.2 mm, margins entire, surfaces usually glabrous, rarely with scattered hairs;
petals white to yellowish, elliptic, obovate, or suborbiculate, 1–3 mm;
ovaries glabrous.
usually red to reddish purple, sometimes yellow, globose to ellipsoid, 15–25 mm, usually glabrous, rarely puberulent;
mesocarps fleshy;
stones ovoid, ± flattened.
dark red to purple or blue-black, obovoid or ellipsoid to globose, 12–25 mm, glabrous;
mesocarps leathery;
stones subglobose to ellipsoid, ± flattened.
Prunus subcordata
Prunus ilicifolia
Prunus subcordata shows variation in color, size, indument, and palatability of fruits, which has been the basis for recognition of taxonomic segregates. Variety kelloggii was described as a larger plant with less hairy foliage than in typical P. subcordata, and its fruits are yellow, larger, sweeter, and more pulpy. Variety rubicunda is a smaller shrub with bright red, bitter fruits. Most noteworthy is var. oregana with densely hairy ovaries and puberulent fruits, recorded only from the sparsely inhabited border region between northeastern California and adjacent Oregon. Specimens in herbaria are few and recent collections are lacking. The assignment of P. texana with hairy fruits to the plums (J. Shaw and R. L. Small 2005) makes this variant all the more interesting. Field study and collection followed by morphologic, genetic, and molecular study are needed to clarify its systematic position and significance.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaf blades ovate to suborbiculate, margins spinose-dentate to spinose-serrulate; petioles 3–10 mm. | var. ilicifolia |
1. Leaf blades oblong-ovate to ovate-lanceolate, margins usually entire, sometimes remotely spinose-serrulate; petioles 8–25 mm. | var. occidentalis |
CA
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
