Genus: Prunus-Cherries, Plums, and Peaches
by Candace Paige Anderson
Picture of Rosaceae Family
Higher Taxon: Rosaceae- the Rose family of which species in the genus Prunus are members.
Description of Higher Taxon: (Cited from North American Trees by Richard J. Preston)
HABIT: Shrubs or usually small trees, only a few species reaching sizes of significance.
LEAVES: Alternate, simple; deciduous or persistent; usually serrate, rarely entire; stipules free from petiole, early deciduous; petiolate.
FLOWERS: Regular; perfect or rarely dioecious; solitary or in terminal or axillary racemes, corymbs, or umbels; appearing from separate buds with , before or after leaves; calyx 5-lobed tubular; corolla 5-petaled, usually white, deciduous, s
tamens usually 15-20; ovary inserted in bottom of calyx tube; inferior or superior, 1-celled, 2-ovuled.
FRUIT: Thin dry, or thick fleshy, 1-seeded drupe; stone bony, smooth or rugose; indehiscent; important as food in several species. Seed: filling cavity of nut, suspended; thin-coated, pale brown.
TWIGS: Slender or stout; round; often with spur branches; red to brown; marked by lenticels, stipulate scars, usually by small, elevated, horizontal leaf scars with 3 bundle scars. Winter buds: terminal present or absent; lateral usually equ
al in size; scales imbricated, the inner often colored.
BARK: Astringent; gray to dark brown; plated or scaly.
WOOD: From light to heavy and hard; fine-textured; diffuseporous; durable; heartwood light to dark brown, often reddish; sapwood lighter colored; a few species are important for timber.
KEY(Cited From Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas by Albert Radford, Harry Ahles, and C. Ritchie Bell)
Leaves opposite, rarely whorled.
---Flowers in catkins or compact heads ---------------------------------- Moraceae
---Flowers not in catkins or compact heads
-----Flowers actinomorphic
---------Stamens more than 4; calyx 5-parted Aceraceae
---------Stamens 4; calyx 4-parted or absent Oleaceae
----- Flowers zygomorphic
-----------Corolla violet; flowers in panicles----------------------------- Scrophulariaceae
-----------Corolla white to pinkish; flowers paired ---------------------- Caprifoliaceae
Leaves alternate
-----Flowers solitary or in open inflorescences, not in catkins or catkin-like
----- inflorescences.
------ Petals united
----------Stamens 15 or more ------------------------------------------------ Symplocaceae
----------Stamens 15 or less ------------------------------------------------- Ericaceae
------- Petals separate or absent
--------- Plant spiny ---------------------------------------------------------- Rutaceae
--------- Plant not spiny
------------- Petals absent, or yellow and less than 1 cm long
----------------- Stigmas 2; stamens open by slits -------------------------- Ulmaceae
----------------- Stigma 1; stamens open by pores ------------------------- Lauraceae
------------- Petals present, white, pink, or purple, or yellow and more than 1 cm long
------------------- Petals 4 ----------------------------------------------------- Hamamelidaceae
------------------- Petals not 4
----------------------- Petals maroon ----------------------------------------- Annonaceae
------------------------Petals white or pink ---------------------------------- Rosaceae
Flowers in catkins or in densely flowered racemes, spikes, or heads
------------ Stigmas 3; calyx 5-parted -------------------------------------- Anacardiaceae
------------ Stigmas 1 or 2; calyx 4-parted or obsolete
-------------- Plant monoecious
-----------------Calyx distinct; stigma 1 ------------------------------------ Moraceae
-----------------Calyx obsolete; stigmas 2 ---------------------------------- Betulaceae
-------------- Plants dioecious
----------------Filaments separate; pistillate flowers pedicellate--------- Salicaceae
----------------Filaments united; pistillate flowers sessile or essentially so ----- Myricaceae
SPECIES LIST (Cited from Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas by Albert Radford, Harry Ahles, and C. Ritchie Bell)
(1) Prunus Alleghaniensis (Allegheny Plum)
(2) Prunus Americana (American Plum)
(3) Prunus Angustifolia (Chickasaw Plum)
(4) Prunus Avium (Mazzard Cherry)
(5) Prunus Carolina (Carolina Laurelcherry)
(6) Prunus Cerasus. (Sour Cherry)
(7) Prunus Domestica (Garden Plum)
(8) Prunus Emarginata (Bitter Cherry)
(9) Prunus Hortulana (Hortulan Plum)
(10)Prunus Ilicifolia (Hollyleaf Cherry)
(11)Prunus Insititia (Damson Plum)
(12) Prunus Lyonii (Catalina Cherry)
(13) Prunus Mahaleb (Mahaleb)
(14) Prunus
Mexicana (Mexican Plum)
(15) Prunus Munsoniana (Wildgoose Plum)
(16) Prunus Myrtifolia (Myrtle Laurelcherry)
(17) Prunus Nigra(Canada Plum)
(18) Prunus Pensylvanica (Pin Cherry)
(19) Prunus Persica (Peach)
(20) Prunus Serotina(Black Cherry)
(21) Prunus Spinosa (Sloe)
(22) Prunus Subcordata (Klamath Plum)
(23) Prunus Umbellata (Flatwoods Plum)
(24) runus Virginiana (Common Chokeberry)
IDENTIFICATION GUIDE (Cited from North American Trees by Richard J. Preston)
Fruit usually over 1/2 inch in diameter and usually slightly 2-lobed by ventral groove
----Terminal bud present; fruit and ovary hairy; naturalized -----------P. Persica Peach
----Terminal bud absent; fruit and ovary glaborous --------------------- Plums
-------- Leaves rolled up in bud; flowers 1or 2; naturalized
------------Twigs glabrous; fruit 1 inch across ----------------------P. Domestica Garden Plum
------------Twigs hairy or woolly; fruit about 1/2 inch across
P.Spinosa Sloe
----------------Flowers in 2's; buds ovate ------------------------------P. Insititia Damson Plum
---------Leaves folded in bud (except Klamath Plum); flowers 3 to many; native
-------------West Coast; leaves round-ovate, rolled in bud ------P. Subcordata Klamath Plum
-------------East of Pacific Coast; leaves ovate to lanceolate
------------------Leaves with sharp teeth, dull dark green above
-------------------- Leaves lanceolate to elliptic; fruit purple, glaucous
----------------------- Fruit stone turgid; calyx hairy;
----------------------- Connecticut to North Carolina ------B>P. Alleghaniensis Allegheny Plum
------------------------Fruit Stone flattened; calyx glabrous
------------------------North Carolina to Texas and Arkansa P. UmbellataFlatwoods Plum
----------------------Leaves oblong to obovate; fruit red to yellow; stone flattened
-------------------------Leaves hairy below; twigs hairy central and southern ---P. Mexicana
------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------Mexican Plum
-------------------------Leaves nearly glabrous below; twigs
-------------------------glabrous; Canada to Florida, west to the
-------------------------Rocky Mountains -------------------------- P. Americana American Plum
--------------------Leaves with dull rounded teeth
--------------------------Leaves dull green, elliptic to obovate,
--------------------------coarsely or doubly toothed; stone flattened---- P. Nigra Canada Plum
--------------------------Leaves lustrous, thin, ovate to lanceolate,
--------------------------finely toothed; stones turgid; southern
--------------------------Indiana to Kansas and south
------------------------------Leaves 2 1/2 to 6 inches long; fruit 1/4 to inch; calyx glandular
-------------------------------- Leaves oblong to obovate ---------- P. Hortulana Hortulan Plum
-------------------------------- Leaves elliptic to lanceolate --- P. Munsoniana Wildgoose Plum
------------------------------Leaves 1-2 inches long; fruit 1/2 inch;
------------------------------calyx lobes without glands --------P. Angustifolia Chickasaw Plum
-------------- Fruit seldom 1/2 inch across, not lobed; leaves folded
-------------- in bud; terminal bud present ---------------------------------------------------Cherries
------------------Flowers solitary or few, in umbels or corymbs
----------------------Calyx persistant on fruit; naturalized
-------------------------- Leaves thin, 2 1/2 - 5 inches long, hairy below
-------------------------- at least along veins; fruit sweet ------------ . Avium Mazzard Cherry
-------------------------- Leaves semileathery, 2-3 inches long,
-------------------------- glabrous; fruit sour ------------------------------ P. CerasusSour Cherry
----------------------Calyx deciduous from fruit
---------------------------Leaves orbicular to broad-ovate;
----------------------------naturalized -----------------------------------------P. Mahaleb Mahaleb
----------------------------Leaves oblong-obovate; Montana and
----------------------------British Columbia to Arizonia and
----------------------------New Mexico ------------------------------ P. Emarginata Bitter Cherry
----------------------------Leaves oblong-lanceolate; Newfoundland
----------------------------to British Columbia, south to Georgia,
----------------------------Iowa, Colorado ---------------------------- P. Pensylvania Pin Cherry
------------------ Flowers 12 or more in elongated racemes
-----------------------Leaves deciduous; flowers in terminal,
-----------------------usually leafy racemes
------------------------------Calyx deciduous from fruit; leaves oblong-
------------------------------oval to obovate, with spreading teeth; entire
------------------------------area -----------------------------P. Virginiana Common chokecherry
------------------------------Calyx persistent on fruit; leaves oblong-
------------------------------ lanceolate with incurved teeth ------------P. Serotina Black Cherry
---------------------Leaves persistant; flowers in axillary, leafless racemes
------------------------- Southeast; leaves entire or rarely with a few small spiny teeth
-----------------------------Leaves elliptic to ovate; Southern Florida----------P. Myrtifolia
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Myrtle Laurelcherry
-----------------------------Leaves oblong-lanceolate; North
-----------------------------Carolina to Texas ------------ P. Caroliniana Carolina Laurelcherry
--------------------------California
-------------------------------Leaves spiny toothed -----------------P. Illicifolia Hollyleaf Cherry
-------------------------------Leaves entire or minutely toothed-------P. Lyonii Catalina Cherry
GENERAL INFORMATION: (Cited from New Britton & Brown Illustrated Flora by Henry Gleason)
Prunus is distributed over the temperate regions of the Northern hemisphere, and is widespread in North America, eastern Asia, western and central Asia, and central Europe. There are about twenty-five species found in the United States. Several of thes
e species are important to our economic system due to the fruits that are grown from these trees and shrubs. Plums and cherries are the major fruit produced by the genus Prunus. "Also the wood from the genus Prunus is very valuable for its timber. It's
wood is very solid and durable which makes is valuable." (Cited from Manual of the Trees of North America Vol. 2 by Charles Sargent). Most are bisexual meaning they have both female and male parts. They usually reproduce once a year. It's hypanthium i
s cup-shaped usually. (LINK TO WEB SITE Rosaceae)
REFERENCES
Aheles, H., Bell, C.R., & Radford, A.1968. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the
------Carolinas Vol. 2. The University of North Carolina Press. Pg. XVII.
Benson, L.D. 1957. Plant Classification. D. C. Heath and Company. Boston.
-------pp.250-255.
Gleason, H. 1958. New Britton & Brown Illustrated Flora Vol. 2. Lancaster Press, Inc.,
-------Lancaster, Penna. pp. 328-334.
Preston, R. 1976. North American Trees 3rd Edition. The Iowa State University Press/
-------Ames, Iowa. Pp. 256-258.
Sargent, C. 1965. Manual of the Trees of North America Vol 2. Dover Publications, Inc.
------- New York. Pp. 555-557.