Common name: Cherry Plum, Myrobalan
Scientific name: Prunus cerasifera 櫻桃李
Genus: Prunus 李屬
Family: Rosaceae 薔薇科, rose family
Origin: Neophyte (established after 1500 AD). It is a native of south-eastern Europe (Balkan Penninsula), south-western and central Asia. It was known in cultivation by 1597 and was not recorded until the 20th century.
Date: 4th March (flowering) & 24th April (fruiting)
010 Sometimes thorny, deciduous shrub or small tree, can grow up to 8m.
015 Flowers appearing with leaves (vs flowers appear before leaves in Prunus spinosa 黑刺李, 刺李, blackthorn).
007 Young twig with flower buds.
009
009_1 Note the green (or reddish), shiny and glabrous 1st year twig (vs brown, more or less hairy new growth twig of Prunus spinosa 黑刺李, 刺李, blackthorn) and the persistent bud scales (B Se) at base of the flower buds. Sepals (Sl).
011 Flower usually solitary.
006 Side view showing the brown bud scale at the base of the flower, the reflexed green sepals and the white petals.
005 5 sepals.
005_1 Reflexed blunt, tongue-shaped, serrated sepals. (vs patent, triangular, entire or sparsely toothed sepals in Prunus spinosa 黑刺李, 刺李, blackthorn)
008_1 5 petals, numerous stamens and 1 pistil.
002_1 A fresh flower. Petals 7-11mm.
013_1 Petals had dropped, leaving the green reflexed sepals, numerous stamens and the pistil at the center.
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The following photos were taken on 24th April of the same plant:
034 The tree trunk.
033 More leaves and fruits are forming now.
032 The arrangement of the leaves on the twig.
028
028_1
025_1
024
027_1 Leaf 3-7cm, glabrous, rather glossy above.
030_1 Underside of the leaf.
021
021_1 Fruit 2-2.5cm, (yellow or reddish when ripe) smooth.
023_1
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