''Prunus nipponica'', also called or Kurile cherry, is a shrub which originates from the islands of

Hokkaido is the list of islands of Japan by area, second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own list of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō fr ...

and

Honshu , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the list of islands by area, seventh-largest island in the world, and the list of islands by ...

, Japan. It grows to a height of about and can grow in sandy,

loam Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–si ...

y, and clay soils. This species is one of the hardiest of cherry trees, well-suited to cold climates. The flowers are a very light pink or even white in color. Flowers bloom in the first half of spring. They have 5 petals and are in diameter. The

pistil Gynoecium (; ; : gynoecia) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl (botany), whorl of a flower; it consists ...

s are usually longer than the stamen. The leaves are serrated and the bark is gray. In autumn the leaves turn yellow and orange-red; these are rare autumnal colors for a cherry tree. ''P. nipponica'' wood contains significant amounts of these

flavonoid Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

s: ''d''-catechin, naringenin, sakuranetin, eriodictyol, taxifolin, genistein, and prunetin. Being a member of the genus ''Prunus'', ''P. nipponica'' would contain

amygdalin Amygdalin (from Ancient Greek: ' 'almond') is a naturally occurring chemical compound found in many plants, most notably in the seeds (kernels, pips or stones) of apricots, bitter almonds, apples, peaches, cherries and plums, and in the roots ...

and prunasin which form hydrocyanic acid when combined with water. This acid is poisonous but in very small doses it can improve respiration, digestion, and a sense of well-being. The fruit can be used as food and to make green dye. This species was first reported by Japanese botanist Jinzō Matsumura in the Tokyo Botanical Magazine in 1901. It is in the section ''Pseudocerasus'' of the cherry subgenus ''Cerasus'' of the genus ''Prunus'', which are ornamental plants. Ma et al classified it in a group with '' Prunus incisa''. ''P. nipponica'' is on the "List of Protected Animals and Plants in the Wildlife Protection Zone" of the wilderness

Shirakami-Sanchi file:Shirakami Mountains Relief Map, SRTM-1 (with UNESCO World Heritage Site).jpg, 270px, Shirakami Mountains Relief Map (with UNESCO World Heritage Site) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Tōhoku region of northern Honshū, Japan. This mou ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

Varieties and Cultivars

Varieties include ''P. nipponica var. nipponica'' and ''P. nipponica var. kurilensis'' * ''P. nipponica var. kurilensis'' 'Ruby'

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q4993133 nipponica Plants described in 1901 Taxa named by Jinzō Matsumura