Prunus ilicifolia

(Nuttall ex Hooker & Arnott) D. Dietrich

Syn. Pl. 3: 43. 1842.

Common names: Hollyleaf cherry islay
Illustrated
Basionym: Cerasus ilicifolia Nuttall ex Hooker & Arnott Bot. Beechey Voy., 340. 1839
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 9. Treatment on page 362. Mentioned on page 355.

Shrubs or trees, sometimes suckering, 10–150 dm, not thorny. Twigs with terminal end buds, glabrous. Leaves persistent; petiole 3–25 mm, glabrous, eglandular; blade oblong-ovate to ovate-lanceolate or ovate to suborbiculate, 1.6–12 × 1.2–5(–7) cm, base usually broadly rounded to subcordate, sometimes obtuse, margins spinose-dentate to spinose-serrulate or entire, sometimes undulate, teeth sharp, callus-tipped, sometimes glandular at leaf base, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces glabrous, abaxial eglandular, if glands present, restricted to margins. Inflorescences 15–40-flowered, racemes; central axes 30–80 mm, leafless at bases. Pedicels 1–5 mm, glabrous. Flowers blooming before leaf emergence; hypanthium cupulate, 2–3 mm, glabrous externally; sepals erect to spreading, triangular, 0.7–1.2 mm, margins entire, surfaces usually glabrous, rarely with scattered hairs; petals white to yellowish, elliptic, obovate, or suborbiculate, 1–3 mm; ovaries glabrous. Drupes dark red to purple or blue-black, obovoid or ellipsoid to globose, 12–25 mm, glabrous; mesocarps leathery; stones subglobose to ellipsoid, ± flattened.

Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Leaf blades ovate to suborbiculate, margins spinose-dentate to spinose-serrulate; petioles 3–10 mm. Prunus ilicifolia var. ilicifolia
1 Leaf blades oblong-ovate to ovate-lanceolate, margins usually entire, sometimes remotely spinose-serrulate; petioles 8–25 mm. Prunus ilicifolia var. occidentalis