Prunus pensylvanica

Linnaeus f.

Suppl. Pl., 252. 1782.

Common names: Pin or bird or fire cherry cerisier de Pennsylvanie petit merisier
EndemicIllustrated
Synonyms: Prunus corymbulosa Rydberg P. pensylvanica subsp. corymbulosa (Rydberg) W. Wight P. pensylvanica var. saximontana Rehder
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 9. Treatment on page 367. Mentioned on page 356, 359, 368.

Shrubs or trees, often suckering, 20–160 dm, not thorny. Twigs with terminal end buds, glabrous. Leaves deciduous; petiole (7–) 9–20 mm, glabrous, glandular distally, glands 1–3; blade elliptic, oblong-lanceolate, or lanceolate, (2.5–) 4.5–10 (–14) × 1.5–5 cm, base cuneate to rounded, margins crenulate to crenate-serrate, teeth blunt, glandular, apex usually acuminate, sometimes acute (western specimens), surfaces glabrous. Inflorescences 2–5 (–8) -flowered, umbellate fascicles or corymbs; central axes 0–8 (–24) mm. Pedicels (8–) 10–30 mm (subtended by minute bracts), glabrous. Flowers blooming at leaf emergence; hypanthium obconic, 1.8–3 mm, glabrous externally; sepals reflexed, oblong, 1.2–2.8 mm, margins entire, surfaces glabrous; petals white, elliptic, obovate, or suborbiculate, 4–7 mm; ovaries glabrous. Drupes bright red, ellipsoid, 6–10 mm, glabrous; mesocarps fleshy; stones ellipsoid, not flattened. 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering Apr–Jun; fruiting Jul–Aug.
Habitat: Forming thickets along streams and lakeshores, in clearings, roadsides, burned-over areas, disturbed sites, rocky hillsides, cliffs, open forests
Elevation: 0–2800 m

Distribution

V9 598-distribution-map.jpg

St. Pierre and Miquelon, Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.W.T., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Colo., Conn., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Mont., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Pa., R.I., S.Dak., Tenn., Vt., Va., W.Va., Wis., Wyo.

Discussion

Throughout most of its range, Prunus pensylvanica appears distinct from P. emarginata. The leaves of P. pensylvanica are generally larger and lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate rather than oblanceolate to elliptic; the leaf apices are usually acuminate (sometimes acute) versus rounded to obtuse (rarely acute) in P. emarginata. Inflorescences of P. pensylvanica are corymbose to umbellate with central axes shorter than pedicels; in P. emarginata the inflorescences are corymbose to racemose with central axes longer than pedicels. Where their ranges overlap in British Columbia and western Montana, intermediates are found with the corymbose inflorescence of P. emarginata and leaves more comfortably accommodated within the variation of P. pensylvanica. Some of these specimens have been identified as P. corymbulosa, based on a type from Montana, here included within P. pensylvanica.

Along the eastern slopes of the Rockies and throughout the northwestern Great Plains, Prunus pensylvanica is shrubby and has smaller leaves (less than 60 mm) than it does farther east. Compared to leaves of eastern plants, those of western specimens are also broader in proportion to their length (1.7–2.3:1 versus 2–4.3:1), have acute rather than acuminate apices, and tend to be more coarsely toothed. Although sometimes segregated as var. saximontana, or subsp. corymbulosa, when having a corymbose inflorescence, these plants fit within the variation in plant habit, leaf size, leaf shape, and margin serration seen throughout the broad range of P. pensylvanica.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Prunus pensylvanica"
acute;acuminate +
Joseph R. Rohrer +
Linnaeus f. +
dark gray +, gray-brown +, reddish-brown +  and reddish +
compound +  and simple +
opposite +  and alternate +
cuneate +  and rounded +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (14 cm140 mm <br />0.14 m <br />) +
4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
lanceolate +, oblong-lanceolate +  and elliptic +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br />) +
membranous +  and leathery +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (?) +  and 5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (?) +
free +  and distinct +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br />) +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
Pin or bird or fire cherry +, cerisier de Pennsylvanie +  and petit merisier +
solitary +, fascicles +, 2-flowered +  and umbellate +
St. Pierre and Miquelon +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. +, N.W.T. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Colo. +, Conn. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mont. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Vt. +, Va. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +  and Wyo. +
not +  and aggregated +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
ellipsoid +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0–2800 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 +
Forming thickets along streams and lakeshores, in clearings, roadsides, burned-over areas, disturbed sites, rocky hillsides, cliffs, open forests +
persistent +  and deciduous +
0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
umbellate +  and 2-5(-8)-flowered +
crassinucellate +
deciduous +
crenulate +  and crenate-serrate +
inferior +  and superior +
biseriate +  and clustered +
collateral +  and apical +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
0 (?) +  and 4 (?) +
free +  and distinct +
suborbiculate;obovate;suborbiculate;obovate;elliptic +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
Flowering Apr–Jun +  and fruiting Jul–Aug. +
adnate +, free +, connate +  and distinct +
Suppl. Pl., +
not arillate +
free +  and distinct +
0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> (0.28 cm2.8 mm <br />0.0028 m <br />) +
Endemic +  and Illustrated +
free +  and distinct +
branched +  and simple +
1 +  and 20 +
linear;lanceolate +
not flattened +  and ellipsoid +
deciduous +
distinct +
basal +, lateral +, subterminal +  and terminal +
not elongate +
Prunus corymbulosa +, P. pensylvanica subsp. corymbulosa +  and P. pensylvanica var. saximontana +
Prunus pensylvanica +
species +
inconspicuous +
tree +, suckering +  and shrub +
hairy +  and glabrous +