Arbutus unedo

From WikiMD.org
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Arbutus unedo

Arbutus unedo (pronounced /ɑːrˈbjuːtəs ˈuːnɪdoʊ/), commonly known as the strawberry tree, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, native to the Mediterranean region and western Europe north to western France and Ireland.

Etymology

The name "Arbutus unedo" was derived from Latin, where "Arbutus" means "tree of the strawberry" and "unedo" means "I eat one". This refers to the edible fruit which is only palatable in moderation due to its slight bitterness.

Description

Arbutus unedo grows to 5–10 m tall, rarely up to 15 m, with a trunk diameter of up to 80 cm. The leaves are dark green, leathery, and glossy, 5–10 cm long and 2–3 cm broad, with a serrated margin. The hermaphrodite flowers are white (rarely pale pink), bell-shaped, 4–6 mm diameter, produced panicles of 10–30 together in autumn. They are followed in 12 months by the fruit, which matures in autumn. The fruit is a red berry, 1–2 cm diameter, with a rough surface, maturing 12 months at the same time as the next flowering.

Related Terms

  • Ericaceae: The family of flowering plants that Arbutus unedo belongs to.
  • Hermaphrodite: A term referring to organisms that have reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.
  • Panicle: A much-branched inflorescence.
  • Berry: A small, pulpy, and often edible fruit.

See Also

External links

Esculaap.svg

This WikiMD article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.


Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski