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Prunus grayana Maxim.

Gray's Bird Cherry

Modern name

Prunus grayana Maxim.

Synonyms

Padus grayana (Maxim.) Schneid.

A native of Japan, where it is a small tree 20 to 30 ft high, with a slender trunk. This species is very closely allied to our common bird cherry (P. padus), differing chiefly in the leaves, which have no glands on the very short stalks (almost invariably present in P. padus), and in the teeth being finer and more hair-like. The white flowers are borne in erect racemes up to 4 in. long. Fruits black, about the size of peas, narrowing towards the apex. The species inhabits the mountain forests of the main island of Japan, and the southern parts of Hokkaido. The true plant is very uncommon in cultivation.


Genus

Prunus

Other species in the genus