PRUNUS PROSTATA

Family and Genus:- See- ROSACEAE

Common Names:- Prostrate cherry

Homotypic Synonyms:- Cerasus prostrata

Meaning:- Prunus The ancient Latin name for the plum tree.

Prostrata (L) Lying flat, prostrate.

General description:- Low spreading, densely twiggy, deciduous shrub, growing

flat on the ground or making hummocks; young twigs finely hairy.

Twigs:-

1) Yellowish-brown, puberulent, young twigs finely hairy.

Leaves:-

1) 9-12(-27) x 3-6(-9) mm, elliptic-obovate, distinctly serrate, bright green above,

pale green to densely white-tomentose beneath.

2) Petiole, short.

Flowers:-

1) Mostly solitary, sub-sessile appearing before the leaves.

2) Hypanthium, tubular, 4.5-7 mm.

3) Petals, 6-7 mm, bright rose-pink.

Fruit:-

1) Drupe, 5-8 mm, broadly ovoid to subglobose, bright red when ripe,

a) endocarp, slightly sulcate.

Key features:-

1) Dwarf shrub, usually procumbent.

2) Leaf blade, 7-12 mm, distinctly serrate.

3) Ripe drupe, 5-8 mm, bright red.

Click here for a glossary of terms used

Habitat:- Crevices of limestone cliffs, rugged slopes and rocky outcrops, rarely on

other substrates. (500-)1000-2400 m.

Distribution:- Spain and N Africa to Turkey and the Near East - absent from

Portugal, France, Italy and Sicily, Balearic Is. and Cyprus. Rare on Crete, restricted

to the four main massifs Lefka Ori, Psiloritis, Dikti and Afendis Kavousi.

Flowering time:- Apr to early June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton

Status:-

Protection status (for threatened species): Greek Presidential Decree 67/1981.