Prunus pseudocerasus
Prunus pseudocerasus | |
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Chinese sour cherry in bloom | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Rosaceae |
Genus: | Prunus |
Subgenus: | Prunus subg. Cerasus |
Section: | P. sect. Cerasus |
Species: | P. pseudocerasus
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Binomial name | |
Prunus pseudocerasus | |
Synonyms | |
Cerasus pseudocerasus (Lindl.) Loudon |
Prunus pseudocerasus or Prunus pseudo-cerasus, the Chinese sour cherry or just Chinese cherry, is a species of cherry native to China and is used worldwide as an ornamental for its early spring cherry blossoms.
Description
A small bushy tree growing to at most 8 m, it generally has reddish buds, pale pink 2 cm flowers and typical red (if a bit pale) 1.5 cm cherries.[1] It can be distinguished from its congeners by certain traits; its 7-16 cm leaves are broadly obovate, with an acuminate tip, flat and serrated, its flowers are racemose, and its branches and peduncles are pubescent.[2][1]
Uses
In China it has been cultivated for its edible (if tart) fruit for around 2000 years.[1] In Japan it is favored as an ornamental tree for its tendency to bloom, flowers before leaves, earlier than the Japanese cherry Prunus serrulata.[3] A tetraploid with 2n=32 chromosomes, it is used as rootstock for other flowering cherries. It is the parent of a number of hybrid cultivars.[4][3] It is resistant to the fungal disease cherry leaf spot.[5]
References
- ^ a b c Jules, Janick; Paull, Robert E (2006). The Encyclopedia of Fruit & Nuts. Cambridge, MA: CABI North American Office. p. 732. ISBN 9780851996387.
- ^ Encyclopædia of Plants; comprising the specific character, description, and every other desirable particular respecting all the plants indigenous to Britain. Ed. by Mrs. Loudon, assisted by G. Don and D. Wooster. London, 1872.
- ^ a b Kuitert, Wybe (1999). Japanese Flowering Cherries. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. ISBN 9780881924688.
- ^ Feng, Ying; Liu, Tao; Wang, Xiao-Yu; Li, Bin-Bin; Liang, Cheng-Lin; Cai, Yu-Liang (March 2018). "Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of the Chinese cherry Prunus pseudocerasus (Rosaceae)". Conservation Genetics Resources. 10 (1): 85–88. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- ^ Verma, LR; Sharma, RC (1999). Diseases of Horticultural Crops : Fruits. p. 240. ISBN 9788173870958.
External links