Prunus subcordata |
Rosaceae tribe Amygdaleae |
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Klamath plum, Oregon plum, Pacific plum, Sierra or Klamath or Pacific plume, Sierra plum, western plum |
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Habit | Shrubs or trees, often suckering, 10–30(–60) dm, sometimes thorny. | Shrubs or trees; sometimes armed. |
Twigs | with axillary end buds, glabrous or hairy. |
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Leaves | 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. |
alternate, simple; stipules deciduous, free; venation pinnate. |
Inflorescences | 2–5-flowered, umbellate fascicles. |
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Pedicels | 5–15 mm, glabrous or hairy. |
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Flowers | 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. |
perianth and androecium perigynous; epicalyx bractlets absent; hypanthium cup-shaped, obconic, campanulate, or tubular; torus absent; carpel 1, distinct, free, style terminal, distinct; ovules 2 (1 abortive), apical, collateral (obturator present). |
Fruits | drupes; styles deciduous, not elongate. |
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Drupes | usually red to reddish purple, sometimes yellow, globose to ellipsoid, 15–25 mm, usually glabrous, rarely puberulent; mesocarps fleshy; stones ovoid, ± flattened. |
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Prunus subcordata |
Rosaceae tribe Amygdaleae |
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Phenology | Flowering Mar–May; fruiting Aug–Sep. | |
Habitat | Stream banks, dry rocky slopes, chaparral, pine-oak and juniper-oak woodlands | |
Elevation | 100–1900 m (300–6200 ft) | |
Distribution |
CA; OR
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North America; Mexico; Central America; South America; Eurasia; Africa; Australia [Widely introduced] |
Discussion | 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.) |
Genus 1, species 200+ (44 in the flora). The base chromosome number for Amygdaleae is x = 8. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 9, p. 377. | FNA vol. 9, p. 352. |
Parent taxa | Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Amygdaleae > Prunus | Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae |
Sibling taxa | ||
Subordinate taxa | ||
Synonyms | P. subcordata var. kelloggii, P. subcordata var. oregana, P. subcordata var. rubicunda | |
Name authority | Bentham: Pl. Hartw., 308. (1849) | de Candolle: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 2: 529. (1825) |
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