''Prunus apetala'' is a species of flowering cherry in the genus ''

Prunus ''Prunus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs from the family (biology), family Rosaceae. The genus includes plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots and almonds (collectively Drupe, stonefruit). The genus has a cosm ...

'' in the family

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus '' Rosa''. The family includes herbs, shrubs, and trees. Most species are deciduous, but som ...

. It is called clove cherry ( ), because of its clovebud-shaped calyx. It is native to

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, centered on the main island,

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 ...

.Chittenden, Fred J., Synge, Patrick M., editors. 1977. “The Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening”, edn. 2, Oxford University Press. . Volume 3, pp. 1695

Description

Shrub or small tree. * Height: To 5.5 m (18 ft). * Leaves: Obovate leaves reach 5–10 cm (2–4 in) in length. Leaf tips are slender; leaf margins double-toothed. Petioles (leaf stalks) and upper leaf surfaces are hairy. * Inflorescences: Flowers in May. ** Petals: Range in color from white to pink; small, 'soon falling'. ** Calyx: Purple. ** Stamens: Purple. ** Pedicels: 1.25-1.9 cm (.5-.75in) in length. * Fruit: Black in color, roundish-oval in shape. ** Peduncle: Peduncle (fruit stalk) ranges in length from 2.5 to 3.8 cm (1-1.5 in).

Etymology

''Prunus'' is the ancient Latin name for plum trees. The specific epithet ''apetala'' is derived from Greek, meaning 'without

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s', due to their habit of dropping off the flowers soon after they are formed.Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 52, 316

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from1=Q10860854, from2=Q15534707, from3=Q17235108, from4=Q15536068 apetala Ornamental trees Endemic flora of Japan Trees of Japan Plants described in 1843 Taxa named by Philipp Franz von Siebold Taxa named by Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini