''Prunus myrtifolia'', called the West Indies cherry or myrtle laurel cherry, is a New World species of shrubs 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 ...
.
Description
''Prunus myrtifolia'' is a spineless,
evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...
tree up to 12 metres (40 feet) tall, not forming clumps nor hairs. The flowers are white, formed in elongated arrays of up to 30 flowers. The fruit is dark purple, almost black, and is spherical or egg-shaped.
Distribution
It is native to the southeastern United States (
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
), southern Mexico, Central America, South America, and the West Indies.
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
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Gallery
References
External links
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{{Taxonbar, from1=Q15546080, from2=Q18112646, from3=Q15542676
myrtifolia
Flora of Mexico
Flora of Florida
Flora of South America
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus