Jepson Herbarium
The University and Jepson Herbaria
University of California, Berkeley
Jepson eFlora: Taxon page
Vascular Plants of California
Key to families | Table of families and genera
Previous taxon Index to accepted names and synonyms:
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
| N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Next taxon

Prunus virginiana var. demissa

WESTERN CHOKE CHERRY


Higher Taxonomy
Family: RosaceaeView DescriptionDichotomous Key
Common Name: ROSE FAMILY
Habit: Annual to tree, glandular or not. Leaf: simple to palmately or pinnately compound, generally alternate; stipules free to fused (0), persistent to deciduous. Inflorescence: cyme, raceme, panicle, cluster, or flowers 1; bractlets on pedicel ("pedicel bractlets") generally 0--3(many), subtended by bract or generally not. Flower: generally bisexual, radial; hypanthium free or fused to ovary, saucer- to funnel-shaped, subtending bractlets ("hypanthium bractlets") 0--5, alternate sepals; sepals generally 5; petals generally 5, free; stamens (0,1)5--many, anther pollen sacs generally 2; pistils (0)1--many, simple or compound, ovary superior to inferior, styles 1--5. Fruit: 1--many per flower, achene (fleshy-coated or not), follicle, drupe, or pome with generally papery core, occasionally drupe-like with 1--5 stones. Seed: generally 1--5 (per fruit, not per flower).
Genera In Family: 110 genera, +- 3000 species: worldwide, especially temperate; many cultivated for ornament, fruit, especially Cotoneaster, Fragaria, Malus, Prunus, Pyracantha, Rosa, Rubus. Note: Number of teeth is per leaf or leaflet, not per side of leaf or leaflet, except in Drymocallis.
eFlora Treatment Author: Daniel Potter & Barbara Ertter, family description, key to genera, treatment of genera by Daniel Potter, except as noted
Scientific Editor: Daniel Potter, Thomas J. Rosatti.
Genus: PrunusView DescriptionDichotomous Key


Habit: Shrub, tree. Leaf: simple, alternate or clustered on short-shoots, entire to serrate, generally glabrous, generally glandular on teeth and at blade-petiole junction, veins pinnate; stipules deciduous. Inflorescence: raceme, umbel-like or subsessile cluster, or fls 1; pedicel bractlets 0. Flower: hypanthium cup- to urn-shaped, deciduous in fruit, bractlets 0; sepals erect to reflexed; stamens generally 10--30, generally in 2+ whorls; pistil 1, ovary superior, chamber 1, ovules 2, style 1, stigma +- spheric or disk-like. Fruit: drupe, generally ovoid to spheric.
Etymology: (Greek: plum, prune) Toxicity: Seeds of many species +- TOXIC from production of hydrocyanic acid. Note: Many cultivated for wood, ornamental, edible fruit; some persisting near human habitations, some possibly naturalized (e.g., Prunus laurocerasus L.).
Unabridged Note: Many cultivated for wood, ornamental, edible fruit; some persisting near human habitation (Prunus armeniaca L., apricot; Prunus avium (L.) L., sweet cherry; Prunus caroliniana (Mill.) Aiton; Prunus cerasus L., sour cherry; Prunus domestica L., plum; Prunus laurocerasus L., laurel cherry; Prunus lusitanica L., Portugal laurel; Prunus mahaleb L.; Prunus munsoniana W. Wight & Hedrick; Prunus speciosa (Koidz.) Nakai; Prunus yedoensis Matsum.).
eFlora Treatment Author: Joseph R. Rohrer
Prunus virginiana L. var. demissa (Nutt.) Torr.
NATIVE
Habit: Shrub, small tree < 6(10) m, often in thickets, not thorny. Leaf: deciduous; petiole 10--25 mm; blade 30--100 mm, elliptic to oblanceolate, finely serrate, base obtuse to subcordate, tip acuminate to obtuse. Inflorescence: raceme; flowers 18--many; pedicels 5--8(16) mm. Flower: sepals glabrous, gland-toothed; petals 4--7 mm, white. Fruit: 6--14 mm, glabrous, red to black; pulp fleshy. Chromosomes: 2n=16.
Ecology: Rocky slopes, canyons, scrubland, oak/pine woodland, conifer forest; Elevation: < 3000 m. Bioregional Distribution: CA-FP (exc coast, GV), GB; Distribution Outside California: to British Columbia, Montana, Texas, northern Mexico. Flowering Time: May--Jun Note: Prunus virginiana var. virginiana of eastern North America sometimes cultivated.
Jepson eFlora Author: Joseph R. Rohrer
Index of California Plant Names (ICPN; linked via the Jepson Online Interchange)

Previous taxon: Prunus subcordata
Next taxon: Purshia


Please use this Google Form for Contact/Feedback

Citation for this treatment: Joseph R. Rohrer 2012, Prunus virginiana var. demissa, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=64546, accessed on December 03, 2024.

Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) 2024, Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/, accessed on December 03, 2024.

Prunus virginiana  
var. demissa
click for image enlargement
©2009 Barry Breckling
Prunus virginiana  
var. demissa
click for image enlargement
©2009 Barry Breckling
Prunus virginiana  
var. demissa
click for image enlargement
©2013 Neal Kramer
Prunus virginiana  
var. demissa
click for image enlargement
©2009 Julie Kierstead Nelson
Prunus virginiana  
var. demissa
click for image enlargement
©2009 Julie Kierstead Nelson

More photos of Prunus virginiana var. demissa
in CalPhotos



Geographic subdivisions for Prunus virginiana var. demissa:
CA-FP (exc coast, GV), GB
MAP CONTROLS
1. You can change the display of the base map layer control box in the upper right-hand corner.
2. County and Jepson Region polygons can be turned off and on using the check boxes.
map of distribution 1

(Note: any qualifiers in the taxon distribution description, such as 'northern', 'southern', 'adjacent' etc., are not reflected in the map above, and in some cases indication of a taxon in a subdivision is based on a single collection or author-verified occurrence).






 

Data provided by the participants of the  Consortium of California Herbaria.

MAP LEGEND
View all CCH records
All markers link to CCH specimen records. The original determination is shown in the popup window.
Blue markers indicate specimens that map to one of the expected Jepson geographic subdivisions (see left map). Purple markers indicate specimens collected from a garden, greenhouse, or other non-wild location.
Yellow markers indicate records that may provide evidence for eFlora range revision or may have georeferencing or identification issues.
READ ABOUT YELLOW FLAGS

CCH collections by month Flowering-Fruiting Monthly Counts

Duplicates counted once; synonyms included.
Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa, if there are more than 1 infraspecific taxon in CA.
Blue line denotes eFlora flowering time (fruiting time in some monocot genera).