Prunus subg. Padus

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Prunus subg. Padus is a subgenus of Prunus, characterised by having racemose inflorescences. Padus was originally a distinct genus, but genetic and morphological studies have shown that Padus is polyphyletic.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite journal</ref> It has been proposed that all the racemose taxa within Prunus (Padus, Maddenia, Laurocerasus and Pygeum) are incorporated into a broad-sense Prunus subg. Padus.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Padus is the Latin name for the Po River.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The term Padus (παδος) in reference to the plant comes from the Greek father of botany, Theophrastus, meaning "from the River Po."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

SpeciesEdit

PadusEdit

Species formerly included in the genus Padus are mostly incorporated into this subgenus, except P. maackii and P. xingshanensis which are included in Prunus subg. Cerasus.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> They are deciduous and have small, sour fruit usually only palatable to birds, hence the name bird cherries. Bird cherries are native throughout the temperate Northern Hemisphere, including:<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":0" />

Prunus alabamensis – Alabama black cherry, Southeastern United States
Prunus brachypoda – China
Prunus brunnescens – Sichuan and Yunnan
Prunus buergeriana – Buerger's bird cherry, East Asia and Himalaya
Prunus cornuta – Himalayan bird cherry, Himalaya
Prunus grayana – Gray's bird cherry, China and Japan
Prunus gyirongensis entire-leaved bird cherry, Tibet
Prunus napaulensis Nepalese bird cherry, China and Himalaya
Prunus obtusata - China
Prunus padus – bird cherry or Eurasian bird cherry, Eurasia
Prunus perulata – Sichuan and Yunnan
Prunus serotina – black cherry, North America
Prunus ssiori – Hokkaido bird cherry, Japan and Sakhalin
Prunus stellipila – China
Prunus velutina – China
Prunus virginiana – chokecherry, North America
Prunus wilsonii – Wilson's bird cherry, China

MaddeniaEdit

Species formerly included in the genus Maddenia (Template:Lang-zh, false bird cherries, or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, odorous cherries) form a monophyletic group. They are similar to bird cherries but lack petals. There are five species:<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Prunus fujianensis – Fujian false bird cherry, southeastern China
Prunus gongshanensis – Gongshan false bird cherry, southwestern China
Prunus himalayana – Himalayan false bird cherry, southwestern China, Myanmar, Himalaya
Prunus hypoleuca (synonyms: , Prunus incisoserrata) – false bird cherry, China
Prunus hypoxantha – Sichuan false bird cherry, western to central China

LaurocerasusEdit

Species formerly included in the genus Laurocerasus (cherry laurels) are evergreen. Examples are:

PygeumEdit

The Pygeum group is monophyletic if P. africana (possibly as well as P. crassifolia) is excluded. All the species formerly included in the genus Pygeum, except P. africana (and P. crassifolia), are native to tropical Asia and Oceania. They are similar to cherry laurels but lack petals. Examples are:<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

North Dakota State University agriculture information page about Prunus virginiana [1]

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