Prunus grayana

Taxobox
name = "Prunus grayana"


image_width = 240px
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Rosales
familia = Rosaceae
subfamilia = Prunoideae
genus = "Prunus"
subgenus = "Cerasus"
sectio = "Laurocerasus"
species = "P. grayana"
binomial = "Prunus grayana"
binomial_authority = Maxim.

"Prunus grayana" (syn. "Padus grayana" (Maxim.) C.K.Schneid., "Prunus padus" var. "japonica" Miq.; Japanese Bird Cherry or Gray's Bird Cherry; Japanese ウワミズザクラ "Uwa-mizu-zakura"; Chinese 灰叶稠李 "hui ye chou li") is a species of cherry native to Japan and China, occurring at medium altitudes of 1,000–3,800 m in the temperate zone. It prefers sunshine and moist (but drained) soil.Flora of China: [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200010949 "Padus grayana"] ] Japanese Tree Encyclopedia: [http://www005.upp.so-net.ne.jp/goostake/GOO/XUWAMIZU.HTM Uwamizuzakura "Prunus grayana"] ] Germplasm Resources Information Network: [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?30001 "Prunus grayana"] ]

It is a small deciduous tree reaching a height of 8–20 m. The trunk is slender with smooth grey to purple-grey bark marked with horizontal brown lenticels, with a strong smell when cut. The leaves are elliptical to ovoid, 4–10 cm long and 1.8–4.5 cm broad, with a serrated margin with aristate tips to the serrations. The lowest teeth of a leaf feature two glands. The flowers are produced on 5–8 cm long racemes, each flower 7–10 mm diameter, with five white petals; they are hermaphroditic, and appear in mid-spring after the leaves. The fruit is a small drupe, about 8 mm in diameter, green at first, then red and finally ripening black in mid summer.Botanic Japan: [http://www.botanic.jp/plants-aa/uwamiz.htm "Prunus grayana"] (in Japanese; [http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.botanic.jp/plants-aa/uwamiz.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522Prunus%2Bgrayana%2522%2Bsite:.botanic.jp%26hl%3Den%26c2coff%3D1%26rls%3DRNWE,RNWE:2004-34,RNWE:en google translation] .] Huxley, A., ed. (1992). "New RHS Dictionary of Gardening". Macmillan ISBN 0-333-47494-5.]

It is very closely related to "Prunus padus" (Bird Cherry), differing in the aristate tips to the leaf serration (blunt-pointed in "P. padus"), and the longer style in the flower.Flora of China: [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=123653 "Padus"] ]

Uses

The flowers, fruit and seed are all edible and are prepared and eaten in Japan. The fruit can be preserved with salt to make a dish called Anningo. The bark and roots are the source of a green dye. The wood is very hard and fissable. It is used in various cabinet-making and various other ornamental applications. [Plants for a Future: [http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Prunus+grayana "Prunus grayana"] ]

Classification

The taxon was described in 1864 by Miquel as "Prunus padus" var. "japonica", on the basis of specimens collected by Siebold. [Ohba, H., Akiyama, S., & Thijsse, G. (2003). Miquel's new taxa of the vascular plants described from Japan in "Prolusio Florae Japonicae" and some other works. [http://www.um.u-tokyo.ac.jp/publish_db/Bulletin/no41/contents/053.htm Page 3] ] After a review of the previous literature, Maximowicz in St. Petersburg decided in 1883 [cite journal | last=Maximovicz | first=J.C. | authorlink=Carl Johann Maximowicz | title=Diagnoses plantarum asiaticarum | journal=Bulletin de l'Académie Impériale des sciences | volume=XXIX | issue=27 | pages=pages 51–228 | date=1883 For the details of the publication including the dates of the volumes and the reprint of the article in "Mélange ..." see cite book | author=Pagès, Léon |coauthors=Wenckstern, Friedrich von; Palmgren, Valfrid | title=A Bibliography of the Japanese Empire | publisher=E. J. Brill | city=Leiden | date=1895 | pages=page 223 ] the tree was a distinct species, and named it "Prunus grayana" after Asa Gray.

References