Prunus avium

(Linnaeus) Linnaeus

Fl. Suec. ed. 2, 165. 1755.

Common names: Sweet cherry cerisier des oiseaux
Introduced
Basionym: Prunus cerasus var. avium Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 1: 474. 1753
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 9. Treatment on page 368. Mentioned on page 357, 359, 369.

Trees, not suckering, 60–200 dm, not thorny. Twigs with terminal end buds, glabrous. Leaves deciduous; petiole (14–) 20–40 mm, nearly glabrous or sparsely hairy adaxially, glandular distally or on margins at bases of blades, glands 1–3, discoid; blade oblong, elliptic-obovate, or obovate, (4–) 7–14 × (2.5–) 4–8.5 cm, base obtuse to rounded, margins doubly crenate-serrate, teeth blunt, glandular, apex abruptly short-acuminate, abaxial surface moderately hairy (especially midribs and veins), adaxial glabrous. Inflorescences 1–3-flowered, umbellate fascicles. Pedicels (14–) 25–52 mm, glabrous. Flowers blooming at leaf emergence; hypanthium tubular-urceolate, 5–7 mm, glabrous externally; sepals reflexed, oblong, 4–6 mm, margins entire or sparsely and irregularly toothed, surfaces glabrous; petals white, obovate to suborbiculate, 12–15 mm; ovaries glabrous. Drupes dark red to purplish black, globose, 13–30 mm, glabrous; mesocarps fleshy; stones subglobose, not flattened. 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering Mar–May; fruiting Jun–Jul.
Habitat: Roadsides, stream banks, forest edges, disturbed forests
Elevation: 0–1600 m

Distribution

V9 600-distribution-map.jpg

Introduced; B.C., N.B., N.S., Ont., Ariz., Calif., Conn., Del., D.C., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Ky., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Utah, Va., Wash., W.Va., Wyo., Eurasia

Discussion

Cultivars of Prunus avium are grown in North America both for their attractive flowers, especially where the Japanese ornamental cherries are not hardy, and for their sweet fruits. Most of the sweet cherry crop in North America is grown in the Pacific Coast states and in Michigan and Ontario. Most varieties are self-incompatible and require pollen from a variety in a different incompatibility group in order to set fruits.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Prunus avium"
short-acuminate +
Joseph R. Rohrer +
(Linnaeus) Linnaeus +
dark gray +, gray-brown +, reddish-brown +  and reddish +
compound +  and simple +
opposite +  and alternate +
obtuse +  and rounded +
Prunus cerasus var. avium +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br /> (14 cm140 mm <br />0.14 m <br />) +
obovate +, elliptic-obovate +  and oblong +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br />) +
membranous +  and leathery +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (?) +  and 8.5 cm85 mm <br />0.085 m <br /> (?) +
free +  and distinct +
Sweet cherry +  and cerisier des oiseaux +
solitary +, fascicles +, 2-flowered +  and umbellate +
B.C. +, N.B. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, Ariz. +, Calif. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Ky. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Utah +, Va. +, Wash. +, W.Va. +, Wyo. +  and Eurasia +
not +  and aggregated +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
dark red +  and purplish black +
globose +
1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
0–1600 m +
flattened +
hairy +  and glabrous +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
not +  and aggregated +
not +  and aggregated +
not +  and aggregated +
Roadsides, stream banks, forest edges, disturbed forests +
persistent +  and deciduous +
tubular-urceolate +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
umbellate +  and 1-3-flowered +
crassinucellate +
deciduous +
sparsely +, entire +  and crenate-serrate +
inferior +  and superior +
biseriate +  and clustered +
collateral +  and apical +
1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (5.2 cm52 mm <br />0.052 m <br />) +
0 (?) +  and 4 (?) +
free +  and distinct +
obovate;suborbiculate +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
1.4 cm14 mm <br />0.014 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
hairy +  and glabrous +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
Flowering Mar–May +  and fruiting Jun–Jul. +
adnate +, free +, connate +  and distinct +
Fl. Suec. ed. +
not arillate +
free +  and distinct +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Introduced +
free +  and distinct +
branched +  and simple +
1 +  and 20 +
linear;lanceolate +
not flattened +  and subglobose +
deciduous +
distinct +
basal +, lateral +, subterminal +  and terminal +
not elongate +
Amygdalus +, Armeniaca +, Cerasus +, Lauro-cerasus +, Padus +  and Persica +
Prunus avium +
species +
inconspicuous +
tree +  and not suckering +
hairy +  and glabrous +