''Prunus myrtifolia'', called the West Indies cherry or myrtle laurel cherry, is a New World species of shrubs 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 ...
.
Description
''Prunus myrtifolia'' is a spineless,
evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...
tree up to 12 metres (40 feet) tall, not forming clumps nor hairs. The flowers are white, formed in elongated arrays of up to 30 flowers. The fruit is dark purple, almost black, and is spherical or egg-shaped.
Distribution
It is native to the southeastern United States (
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
), southern Mexico, Central America, South America, and the West Indies.
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
/ref>
Gallery
References
External links
*
myrtifolia
Flora of Mexico
Flora of Florida
Flora of Southern America
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
{{prunus-stub