Prunus rufa explained

Prunus rufa, called Himalayan cherry, is a species of cherry native to Nepal and Burma. It is used as an ornamental elsewhere for its striking shiny brown bark. It has been found growing at 3925-2NaN-2 above sea level in the Himalayas.[1] [2]

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Description

Prunus rufa is a small deciduous tree reaching a height of 15-. Its calyx tubes are 11–15mm long and its leaf blades are 2.8–5cm long. The smooth bark is a shiny brown, with prominent horizontal lenticels, similar to the coppery-red bark of the Tibetan cherry, Prunus serrula and similar to but lighter than the mahogany-brown bark of Prunus himalaica. Its phenotype suggests close affinity with four other Himalayan species of Prunus; P. topkegolensis, P. harae, P. taplejungnica and P. singalilaensis.[3] Some sources consider Prunus ferruginea to be a synonym.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Schwab . N. etal. 2016. Treeline Responsiveness to Climate Warming: Insights from a Krummholz Treeline in Rolwaling Himal, Nepal. Singh. R.. Schickhoff. U.. Mal. S.. Climate Change, Glacier Response, and Vegetation Dynamics in the Himalaya. Springer. 10.1007/978-3-319-28977-9_16 . 978-3-319-28975-5. 307–345.
  2. Web site: Prunus rufa Himalayan Cherry PFAF Plant Database.
  3. Ohba . Hideaki . Akiyama . Shinobu . 22 November 2010 . Four New Species of Himalayan Prunus Subgenus Cerasus (Rosaceae-Prunoideae) . Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Ser. B, Botany . 34 . 4 . 133–140 . A key to distinguish the four new species and P. rufa is provided. .