''Prunus apetala'' is a species of flowering cherry in the genus ''
Prunus
''Prunus'' is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes (among many others) the fruits plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and almonds.
Native to the North American temperate regions, the neotropics of South America, and the p ...
'' in the family
Rosaceae
Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera.
The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are ''Alchemilla'' (270), ''Sorbus ...
. It is called clove cherry ( ja, チョウジザクラ ) because of its clovebud-shaped
calyx. It is native to
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, centered on the main island,
Honshu
, historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separ ...
.
[Chittenden, Fred J., Synge, Patrick M., editors. 1977. “The Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening”, edn. 2, Oxford University Press. . Volume 3, pp. 1695]
Description
Shrub or small tree.
*Height: To 5.5 m (18 ft).
*Leaves: Obovate leaves reach 5–10 cm (2–4 in) in length. Leaf tips are slender; leaf margins double-toothed. Petioles (leaf stalks) and upper leaf surfaces are hairy.
*Inflorescences: Flowers in May.
**Petals: Range in color from white to pink; small, 'soon falling'.
**Calyx: Purple.
**Stamens: Purple.
**Pedicels: 1.25-1.9 cm (.5-.75in) in length.
*Fruit: Black in color, roundish-oval in shape.
**Peduncle: Peduncle (fruit stalk) ranges in length from 2.5-3.8 cm (1-1.5 in).
Etymology
''Prunus'' is the ancient Latin name for plum trees. The specific epithet ''apetala'' is derived from Greek, meaning 'without
petal
Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...
s', due to their habit of dropping off the flowers soon after they are formed.
[Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 52, 316]
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q10860854, from2=Q15534707, from3=Q17235108, from4=Q15536068
apetala
Ornamental trees
Endemic flora of Japan