Prunus pseudocerasus explained

Prunus pseudocerasus or Prunus pseudo-cerasus, the Chinese sour cherry or just Chinese cherry, is a species of cherry native to China and is used worldwide as an ornamental for its early spring cherry blossoms. The fruits of some cultivars are edible.^[1]

Description

A small bushy tree growing to at most 8m (26feet), it generally has reddish buds, pale pink 2cm (01inches) flowers and typical red (if a bit pale) 1.5cm (00.6inches) cherries. It can be distinguished from its congeners by certain traits; its 7cm-16cmcm (03inches-06inchescm) leaves are broadly obovate, with an acuminate tip, flat and serrated, its inflorescences are corymbose or subumbellate, with at least three and as many as seven flowers, and its branches and peduncles are pubescent.^[2]

Uses

In China it has been cultivated for its edible (if tart) fruit for around 2000 years.^[3] In Japan it is favored as an ornamental tree for its tendency to bloom, flowers before leaves, earlier than the Japanese cherry Prunus serrulata.^[4] A tetraploid with 2n=32 chromosomes, it is used as rootstock for other flowering cherries. It is the parent of a number of hybrid cultivars.^[5] It is resistant to the fungal disease cherry leaf spot.^{[6] [7]} P. pseudocerasus contain carotene, vitamin C, proteins, saccharides, iron, and phosphorus. P. pseudocerasus is near extinction in the wild due to anthropogenic activities.^[8]

Notes and References

1. Web site: 樱桃 Cerasus pseudocerasus . 中国科学院《中国植物志》编委会 . 1986 . 中国科学院植物研究所（系统与进化植物学国家重点实验室）数字植物项目组 . zh . 2019-02-16 . 2019-06-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190613024850/http://frps.iplant.cn/frps/Cerasus%20pseudocerasus . live .
2. Encyclopædia of Plants; comprising the specific character, description, and every other desirable particular respecting all the plants indigenous to Britain. Ed. by Mrs. Loudon, assisted by G. Don and D. Wooster. London, 1872.
3. Book: Jules . Janick . Paull . Robert E . 2006 . The Encyclopedia of Fruit & Nuts . Cambridge, MA . CABI North American Office . 732 . 9780851996387 .
4. Book: Kuitert, Wybe . 1999 . Japanese Flowering Cherries . Portland, Oregon . Timber Press . 9780881924688 . registration .
5. Ying . Feng . Tao . Liu . Xiao-Yu . Wang . Bin-Bin . Li . Cheng-Lin . Liang . Yu-Liang . Cai . March 2018 . Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of the Chinese cherry Prunus pseudocerasus (Rosaceae) . Conservation Genetics Resources . 10 . 1 . 85–88 . 10.1007/s12686-017-0770-9. free . 2018ConGR..10...85F .
6. Book: Verma . LR . Sharma . RC . 1999 . Diseases of Horticultural Crops : Fruits . 240 . Indus . 9788173870958 .
7. Web site: Prunus pseudocerasus Cambridge Cherry PFAF Plant Database.
8. Ying, Feng, and Cai YL et al. Characterization of the Complete Chloroplast Genome of the Chinese Cherry Prunus Pseudocerasus (Rosaceae). SPRINGER, VAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS.