Fauna and Flora in UK: Rosaceae薔薇科

Showing posts with label Rosaceae薔薇科. Show all posts

Wednesday, 15 April 2026

Prunus avium 歐洲甜櫻桃、甜櫻桃、大櫻桃、甜車厘子、車厘子

Common name: Wild Cherry, Gean
Scientific name: Prunus avium 歐洲甜櫻桃、甜櫻桃、大櫻桃、甜車厘子、車厘子
Genus: Prunus 李屬
Family: Rosaceae 薔薇科, rose family

Origin: native

Date: 13th April

[158] Suckering deciduous tree to 25 m.

[166] Branch.

[171] Upper trunk. Bark smooth, reddish brown?

[170] Middle trunk.

[168] Lower trunk. Bark peeling now.

[161_1] Leaves 6-15 cm.

[162_1] Leaves glabrous above. Red petioles with pair of reddish glands towards apex.

[163] Underside of the leaf.

[163_1] Enlarged photo above showing thinly pubescent beneath the leaf.

[158] Flowers in umbels of 2-6; base of inflorescence with large persistent green bud-scales.

Showing the inflorescence, the bud scales at the base and the arrangement of leaves.

[160] Showing the inflorescence, the bud scales at the base and the arrangement of leaves.

[167] Showing the inflorescence, the bud scales at the base and the arrangement of leaves.

[157_1] Base of inflorescence with large persistent green bud-scales. Bud-scales (Bs) not leaf-like, at the base of flower stalk (Fk) (vs some bud-scales leaf-like in Pinus cerasus 歐洲酸櫻桃、酸櫻桃、酸車厘子, dwarf cherry)

The following structures could also be seen: Each young leaf (Yl) with a pair of stipules (Se) with glandular-dentate margins. Mature leaves would have pair of reddish glands towards apex in the petiole.

[158_1] Upper surface of bud-scales (Bs) could be seen above. Also, receptacle could be seen constricted at apex (see the above red arrow). (vs receptacle not constricted at apex in Pinus cerasus 歐洲酸櫻桃、酸櫻桃、酸車厘子, dwarf cherry)

[160_1] Showing the relative postions of green flower stalks (Fk), bud scales (Bs), red petiole (Pe) and stipules (Se).

[167_1] Enlarged photo showing the structure of a young leaf (yellow dashed rectangle). A pair of stipules (Se) are present at the base of a young leaf (Yl). Other structures could be seen are: bud scales (Bs), green flower stalk (Fk) and red petiole (Pe).

[157_2] Enlarged photo showing the stipules. They are small, slender structures located at the base of the leaf petiole. They are typically acuminate (tapering to a long point), linear, and possess glandular-dentate (toothed with small glands) margins. These stipules are often deciduous, meaning they fall off early in the season.

[159_1] Flower bowl-shaped.

[154_1] Petals 8-15 mm.

[156_1] Receptacle constricted at apex (see the above blue arrow). (vs receptacle not constricted at apex in Pinus cerasus 歐洲酸櫻桃、酸櫻桃、酸車厘子, dwarf cherry)

[164_1] Petals had fallen off at this later stage of flower.

Friday, 4 April 2025

Rubus spectabilis 鮭莓、美洲大樹莓、美莓

Common name: Salmonberry
Scientific name: Rubus spectabilis 鮭莓、美洲大樹莓、美莓
Genus: Genus: Rubus 懸鉤子屬
Family: Rosaceae 薔薇科, rose family

Origin: Neophyte (established after 1500 AD). It is a native of western North America. It was introduced in Britain in 1827 and was known from the wild by at least 1874.

Note: This plant is listed on Schedule 9 of the UK Wildlife & Countryside Act as an invasive non-native species. Although not banned from sale, it is an offence to plant or cause these to grow in the wild in NORTHERN IRELAND and the REPUBLIC OF IRELAND. Gardeners possessing them should undertake measures to control them.

Date: 24th March

[223] Deciduous, vigorous, suckering shrub. Flowers are usually solitary on lateral branches.

[225] Can reach up to 1-4m tall.

[209] Spines on stem.

[209cropped] Weak spines (straight prickles) occurring lower down the stem.

[204] Buds.

[204cropped] Leaves developing.

[203]

[216cropped] Flowering bud (left) and leaves developing.

[221cropped] Bases of leaves showing the stipules.

[202] 7-22cm long green trifoliate (ternate), toothed leaf. Leaflets are rhomboid. Terminal leaflet is larger than the two side leaflets.

[218] Underside of the leaves.

[218cropped] Hairs on the petiole as well as the mid-veins of the underside of the leaflets.

[208cropped] Flower bud.

[201cropped] Underside of the flower showing the 5 sepals.

[230cropped] Side view of a flower showing the sepals and petals.

[230cropped2] Enlarged photo showing the hairy sepals.

[211cropped1] Flower 2-3cm in diameter, with 5 pinkish-purple petals.

[211cropped2] Numerous (75-100) stamens, but pistils are still covered by the stamens for this flower.

[228cropped1] Lateral stage of a flower, both stamens and pistils could be clearly seen.

[228cropped2] Numerous stamens and pistils could be seen. Pistils with carpels above the petals could be seen above.

Monday, 27 May 2024

Prunus cerasifera 櫻桃李

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)