Wildflowers: Some Prunus?

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by Andrey Zharkikh, Nov 1, 2009.

  1. Andrey Zharkikh

    Andrey Zharkikh Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Prunus virginiana has perfect round fruits unlike this. This might be an escapee, but it is growing high in the mountains - 2.8 km and about 10 miles from the city. But with birds anything is possible... Is it Prunus at all?
    Thanks
     

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  2. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Not sure what it is, but that persistent basal calyx doesn't look like a Prunus at all to me.
     
  3. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Prunus serotina produces a persistent calyx.
     
  4. Andrey Zharkikh

    Andrey Zharkikh Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Thank you, Michael and Ron! The problem is that Prunus serotina like most of Prunus species have perfectly round (spherical, to be exact) fruits, even when they are unripe. This one. however, looks elongated and flattened at the calyx. I looked at most of photos for Prunus and could not find even close shape.
     
  5. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    I run into a dead end on Prunus as well -- used USDA's PLANTS database to view all of the species that occur in Utah, and all fruits (as far as I could tell) are spherical-globose.
     
  6. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Might be an aberration, perhaps even resulting from infestation. Were there similar plants nearby, with the same fruit shape?
     
  7. Andrey Zharkikh

    Andrey Zharkikh Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    No, it was standalone small tree high in the mountains - above the belt of shrub oaks.
     
  8. Andrey Zharkikh

    Andrey Zharkikh Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Well, memory is not the most reliable instrument. Especially, when you shoot about 400 photos every weekend (on the principle of American westerns: shoot first and ask later), it is diffucult to memorize all details. So I went up there (about 1 km rise) to look for details. And it appears to be not a tree, but rather a shrub. And not a solitary plant but rather a solitary spot of multiple stems surrounding the fir tree which probably saves them from the killing sun. And the fruits were never juicy. They are hard as nuts. I crack opened some of them and they are empty. It might be an aberration after all.
     

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  9. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Still not ringing a bell with me but you might find it in books or web pages on the wild plants of your region.
     

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