Prunus lusitanica

Prunus lusitanica
Foliage and immature fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Prunus
Subgenus:	Cerasus[citation needed] or Laurocerasus
Section:	Laurocerasus
Species:	P. lusitanica
Binomial name
Prunus lusitanica L.

Prunus lusitanica, with common name Portugal laurel, is a species of cherry, native to southwestern France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and Macaronesia (the Azores, Canary Islands and Madeira).

Distribution

Flowers

Ripe fruit

Prunus lusitanica is rare in the wild, found mainly along mountain streams, preferring sunshine and moist but well-drained soils. It is moderately drought-tolerant. It reproduces either sexually (the most successful method) or asexually by cloning from shoots.

The species was first scientifically described by Linnaeus in Species Plantarum in 1753. Its specific epithet lusitanica means of Lusitania, the Roman name for Portugal.

Description

Prunus lusitanica is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 3–15 metres (9.8–49 ft) tall. The bark is blackish-brown, The leaves are alternate, oval, 7–12 cm long and 3–5 cm broad, with an acute apex and a dentate margin, glossy dark green above, lighter below. They superficially resemble those of the Bay laurel, which accounts for its often being mistaken for one.

The flowers are small (10–15 mm diameter) with five small white petals; they are produced on erect or spreading racemes 15–25 cm long in late spring. The fruit is a small cherry-like drupe 8–13 mm in diameter, green or reddish green at first, turning dark purple or black when ripe in late summer or early autumn.

Subspecies

Three subspecies are accepted:

• Prunus lusitanica subsp. lusitanica. Mainland Europe.
• Prunus lusitanica subsp. azorica (Mouill.) Franco. Azores.
• Prunus lusitanica subsp. hixa (Willd.) Franco. Canary Islands, Madeira, Morocco.

Cultivation

Prunus lusitanica is grown as an ornamental shrub and is widely planted as a hedge and for screening in gardens and parks. It is introduced and locally naturalised in the temperate zone in northern France, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, and the western United States in California, Oregon and Washington.

Toxicity

The leaves of Prunus lusitanica contain cyanide and will release this into the environment if burnt or if crushed.

The fruit is very bitter and inedible (doubtfully edible if fully ripe), and may be toxic.