Prunus avium

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Prunus avium

Prunus avium, commonly known as wild cherry, sweet cherry, or gean, is a species of cherry native to Europe, western Turkey, northwestern Africa, and western Asia, from the British Isles south to Morocco and Tunisia, north to the Trondheimsfjord region in Norway and east to the Caucasus and northern Iran, with a small isolated population in the western Himalaya.

Pronunciation

  • Pronunciation: /ˈpruːnəs ˈeɪviəm/

Etymology

The name "Prunus" is Latin for "plum". "Avium" refers to birds, reflecting the fact that birds are known to disperse the seeds.

Description

Prunus avium is a deciduous tree growing to 15–32 m (49–105 ft) tall, with a trunk up to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in diameter. The leaves are alternate, simple ovoid-acute, 7–14 cm (2.8–5.5 in) long and 4–7 cm (1.6–2.8 in) broad, with a serrated margin. The flowers are produced in early spring at the same time as the new leaves; they are white, 2–3 cm diameter, and hermaphroditic, with five petals, seven to ten stamens, and a five-lobed stigma. The fruit is a drupe 1–2 cm in diameter (larger in some cultivated selections), bright red to dark purple when mature in midsummer, edible, variably sweet to somewhat astringent and bitter to eat fresh.

Related Terms

  • Drupe: A type of fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside.
  • Deciduous: A term referring to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally.
  • Hermaphroditic: Having both male and female reproductive organs.

External links

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