Click for help
Volume IV (1988) - Flora of New Zealand Naturalised Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Dicotyledons
Copy a link to this page Cite this record

Prunus L.

PRUNUS L.

(W.R.S., D.R.G.)

Perennial shrubs or trees, often deciduous, sometimes evergreen, unarmed or spiny; stems erect to wide-spreading, often with well developed trunk; young shoots glabrate to tomentose. Lvs distributed along long shoots, sometimes ± in clusters, simple, entire, crenate or 1-2-serrate; stipules free, frequently deciduous. Infl. an umbel, corymb, raceme or cluster, sometimes fls solitary or paired, usually on short shoots and subtended by many imbricate bracts. Fls 5-merous, ⚥, often showy, usually preceding lvs in deciduous spp. Hypanthium concave or ± campanulate to cylindric. Epicalyx 0. Sepals very variable in length, deciduous. Petals usually 5 (sometimes many in cvs), usually spreading, occasionally the lower parts appearing to form a ± campanulate tube, white or pink to red. Stamens 15-50. Ovary superior; carpel 1; style 1; ovules 2 but 1 usually aborting. Fr. a drupe with fleshy pericarp enclosing a hard, stony endocarp; seed usually 1.

SYNOPSIS

  • A. Subgen. AMYGDALUS 
    • (peaches and almonds). Deciduous. Lvs longitudinally folded in bud; terminal bud present. Fls appearing before the lvs, sessile or shortly pedicellate, solitary or in fascicles of 2-3. Fr. sulcate, ± tomentose (except the nectarine), lacking bloom:
    • 9. * persicadulcis (Miller) D. Webb
  • B. Subgen. CERASUS 
  • C. Subgen. LAUROCERASUS 
    • (cherry laurels). Evergreen. Lvs longitudinally folded in bud; terminal bud present. Fls appearing after the lvs, pedicellate, many in elongated racemes. Fr. not sulcate, glabrous, bloom lacking:
    • 6. *laurocerasus7. * lusitanica
  • D. Subgen. PADUS 
    • (bird cherries). Deciduous. Lvs longitudinally folded in bud; terminal bud present. Fls appearing before, with or after the lvs, pedicellate, 12-many in racemes. Fr. not sulcate, glabrous, lacking bloom:
    • *serotina
  • E. Subgen. PRUNUS 

Key

1
Infl. an elongated, dense raceme of > 20 fls; plants deciduous or evergreen
2
Infl. an umbel, cluster or fascicle of 1-14 fls or sometimes a short, open raceme or corymb; plants deciduous
4
2
Plant deciduous; lvs rather thin; infl. open and ± pendent
*serotina ζ
Plants evergreen; lvs coriaceous; infl. dense and ± erect
3
3
Lf margin ± entire toward base, with few, short and distant teeth toward apex; lvs often = or > racemes; petals greenish white to cream
6. *laurocerasus
Lf margin crenate-serrate; lvs usually < racemes; petals white
7. *lusitanica
4
Fls (3)-8-12-(14) in a raceme; lf length < 1.5× width
8. *mahaleb
Fls < 7 in umbels, fascicles or corymbose clusters, sometimes solitary or paired; lf length usually > 1.5× width
5
5
Fls campanulate with petals ± erect in lower part; petals and stamens deep pink to crimson or magenta
2. *campanulata
Fls with petals spreading from near base; petals and stamens white to pink
6
6
Fr. glabrous; pedicels > 5 mm long
7
Fr. hairy; pedicels < 5 mm long, the fls and fr. often appearing sessile
11
7
Fr. rounded and without a groove, not pruinose; branches not armed
8
Fr. ± sulcate, usually pruinose; branches armed or not
10
8
Lvs usually long-acuminate, with acuminate marginal teeth; fls often double with many deeply notched petals
10. *serrulata
Lvs acute to acuminate, with blunt marginal teeth; fls usually single with petals ± entire to shallowly emarginate
9
9
Lvs tomentose below when young or rarely glabrate, soon glabrous; infl. without leafy bracts; fr. sweet to rather bitter
1. *avium
Lvs glabrous beneath, occasionally with a few scattered hairs; infl. sometimes subtended by a few leafy bracts; fr. sour
4. *cerasus
10
Fr. (10)-15-30 mm long; fls usually not crowded; petals 6-10 mm long; young shoots glabrous and shining; mature lvs glabrous except sometimes in lower ⅓ of midrib
3. *cerasifera
Fr. (20)-25-45-(55) mm long; fls usually densely crowded; petals (8)-10-15 mm long; young shoots dull and hairy; mature lvs usually with at least some hairs on major veins and lower part of margin
5 * × domestica
11
Fr. with deeply pitted stone; lvs lanceolate to narrow-elliptic, > (50)-70 mm long
9. *persica
Fr. with smooth stone; lvs elliptic-ovate, broadly-obovate or suborbicular, < 80 mm long
*armeniaca ζ

c. 100-150 spp., mainly N. temperate, some in subtropical and tropical regions S. to the mountains of S.E. Asia and the Andes. Naturalised spp. 11 and 1 cultivated hybrid.

Many Prunus spp. are valued as ornamental trees and for their fr. and a huge number of cvs are grown. In addition to those which have escaped, other spp. are common in cultivation; the principal ones are P. mume Siebold et Zucc., Japanese apricot, P. subhirtella Miq. and P. yedoensis Matsum. The last is often considered to be a hybrid between P. serrulata and P. subhirtella.

Taxonomic treatment at both specific and generic level differs considerably among authors, some elevating the following subgenera to generic rank. The system followed here is that of Rehder, A., Manual of Cultivated Trees and Shrubs Hardy in North America ed. 2 (1947), who recognised 5 subgenera. All of these have contributed to the naturalised flora of N.Z. Other useful references are Bean, W. J., Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles 3 ed. 8 (Clarke, D. L., Ed., 1976), and Ingram, C., Ornamental Cherries (1948).

Lf measurements given in the descriptions may not include the large lvs which sometimes occur on sucker and water shoots.

Click to go back to the top of the page
Top