Prunus subcordata
Encyclopedia
Prunus subcordata, known by the common names Klamath plum, Oregon plum, and Sierra plum, is a member of the genus Prunus
(plum, cherry, and other stone fruit
), native to the west coast of the Western United States
in California
and western and southern Oregon
. It grows in forests, most often at low elevation near the coast, but it is also in the Sierra Nevada and Cascades
; it grows at altitudes of 100–1,900 m. P. subcordata var. subcordata, Klamath Plum, is also found in Washington.
Its range surrounds the San Joaquin Valley
, especially the western flank foothills of the Sierra Nevada range, but avoids the coast mountains of the southwest San Joaquin Valley. For other Pacific coastal Prunus species, P. emarginata is also found in the Pacific Northwest states; P. fremontii
and P. ilicifolia
are found in coastal or mountain areas of southwest California and northern Baja California
.
shrub
or small tree
growing to 8 m in height. It sprouts from its root
s and can form dense, spiny thickets. The bark
is gray with horizontal brown lenticel
s, similar in appearance to that of the cherry tree. The leaves
are 2.5–5 cm long with a 4–15 mm petiole, dark green, turning red before falling, and are faintly serrated. The flower
s are white or pinkish, appearing in the spring in clusters of one to seven together. The fruit
is a small plum
-like drupe
, variable in appearance, 15–25 mm in length, and may be red or yellow; they are mature in late summer. The plums are small and tart but edible.
The three main common name
s are related to the plums mountain ranges and locales.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. There are around 430 species spread throughout the northern temperate regions of the globe. Many members of the genus are widely cultivated for fruit and ornament.-Botany:Members of the genus...
(plum, cherry, and other stone fruit
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
), native to the west coast of the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and western and southern Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. It grows in forests, most often at low elevation near the coast, but it is also in the Sierra Nevada and Cascades
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
; it grows at altitudes of 100–1,900 m. P. subcordata var. subcordata, Klamath Plum, is also found in Washington.
Its range surrounds the San Joaquin Valley
San Joaquin Valley
The San Joaquin Valley is the area of the Central Valley of California that lies south of the Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta in Stockton...
, especially the western flank foothills of the Sierra Nevada range, but avoids the coast mountains of the southwest San Joaquin Valley. For other Pacific coastal Prunus species, P. emarginata is also found in the Pacific Northwest states; P. fremontii
Prunus fremontii
Prunus fremontii is a shrub or small tree reaching up to five meters in height, known by the common name desert apricot. It takes its scientific name from John C. Frémont. It is found in southwestern North America in north and western Baja California especially, mostly Pacific and western, and the...
and P. ilicifolia
Prunus ilicifolia
Prunus ilicifolia is an evergreen shrub to tree, producing edible cherries, with shiny and spiny toothed leaves similar in appearance to holly...
are found in coastal or mountain areas of southwest California and northern Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
.
Plant description
It is an erect deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
or small tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
growing to 8 m in height. It sprouts from its root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
s and can form dense, spiny thickets. The bark
Bark
Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...
is gray with horizontal brown lenticel
Lenticel
A lenticel is an airy aggregation of cells within the structural surfaces of the stems, roots, and other parts of vascular plants. It functions as a pore, providing a medium for the direct exchange of gasses between the internal tissues and atmosphere, thereby bypassing the periderm, which would...
s, similar in appearance to that of the cherry tree. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are 2.5–5 cm long with a 4–15 mm petiole, dark green, turning red before falling, and are faintly serrated. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are white or pinkish, appearing in the spring in clusters of one to seven together. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is a small plum
Plum
A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera in the shoots having a terminal bud and solitary side buds , the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one...
-like drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
, variable in appearance, 15–25 mm in length, and may be red or yellow; they are mature in late summer. The plums are small and tart but edible.
The three main common name
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
s are related to the plums mountain ranges and locales.