Prunus himalayana J.Wen (Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 164: 243. 2010).

Wen, Jun & Shi, Wenting, 2012, Revision of the Maddenia clade of Prunus (Rosaceae), PhytoKeys 11, pp. 39-59 : 42

1. Prunus himalayana J.Wen (Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 164: 243. 2010). Fig. 1

Synonym.

Maddenia himalaica Hook.f. & Thomson ( Hooker’s J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 6: 381. 1854); non Prunus himalaica Kitam.

Type.

India. Sikkim: temperate, 8-10000 ft, bearing flowers and fruits, J. D. Hooker s.n. (lectotype: K!, here designated; isolectotype: K!).

Description.

Trees (2-) 3.5-10 m tall. Branches purple, slightly puberscent; branchlets of first year’s growth densely pubescent. Winter buds purplish brown, ovoid; scales to 3-23 × 3-12 mm, broadly to narrowly ovate, outside brown pubescent. Stipules lanceolate, 12-25 × 2-5.5 mm, membranaceous, caduceus, margin with glandular and fine teeth, glandular teeth at the lower 1/3-1/2, apex acuminate to acute, base rounded. Petiole 2-4.5 mm, densely brownish pubescent. Leaves ovate-oblong, elliptic to ovate, 5.5-13.5 × 2.7-6 cm, abaxially light green, densely pubescent, adaxially dull green and pubescent along the veins; margin doubly irregularly serrate to serrulate at the upper 2/3, glandularly serrulate at the lower 1/3, teeth at the margin sharp; apex acuminate, base subcordate to broadly cuneate; secondary veins 13-15 on either side of midvein. Racemes 3.5-6.5 cm, axis densely pubescent, (8-) 10-18-flowered; bracts broadly lanceolate, narrowly ovate, 6-14 × 2-5 mm, membranaceous, caduceus, pubescent on both surfaces, margin sparsely with glandular teeth. Pedicel 2.5-5 mm at anthesis, densely pubescent. Hypanthium campanulate, 3-4 × 5-7 mm, densely brownish pubescent outside, glabrous inside. Perianth segments 10, narrowly triangular, 1.5-2 × 1-1.3 mm, caduceus, pubescent. Stamens 30-40, 4-7.5 mm long; filament cream white, 3.5-7 mm; anthers oblong, pale yellow, 0.5-0.6 × 0.4-0.5 mm. Ovary glabrous, 1- or occasionally 2-locular, sometimes developing into twin fruits as shown in Fig. 1 . Style slender, 5-11 mm long. Drupe ovoid, 8-10 × 5-5.5 mm, glabrous, dark purple to black.

Distribution.

Bhutan, Nepal, N India, N Myanmar and W China

Ecology.

Forest. Fl Apr-May; fr May-Aug; 2000-3500 m.

Specimens examined.

Bhutan. Wangdu Phodrung Ada, 10500 ft, 20 ft tree, 24 May 1966, S.Bower Lyon 3220 (BM). E Rudo La, tree 10-15 ft, flowers white, in rhododendron forest, 18 May 1940, Ludlow et al 18883 (BM, E). Tashiling (2100 m) - Neylong (2200) - Charikhachor (2250 m), 20 Apr 1967, fl, H.Kanai et al. 8284 (BM, E). West Donga La, 10000 ft, shrub 12-15 ft, flowers cream, calyx reddish brown, growing on edge of clearing in dense rain forest, 23 Apr 1949, fl, F.Ludlow et al. 20524 (E). Pangkar, near Lhuntse Dzong, Kuru Chu, 9000 ft, 25 Apr 1949 fl, tree 15 ft, filaments cream, anthers pale yellow, bracts and leaves dull dark red brown, F. Ludlow et al. 18756 (BM, E, PE). NE of Bhutan, Lao (Lao Chu), 9000 ft, 12 May 1949, fl, small tree, 20 ft, perianth insignificant, reddish green, stamens prominent, cream, an occasional (terminal) flower is observed with two carpels, F.Ludlow et al. 20265 (BM, PE). Tongsa,west slope below Yuto La, E of Tongsa 27°31'N, 90°34'E, margin of mossy Tsuga / Rhododendron forest, shrub 2-4 m, fr dark crimson, fleshy, 3100 m, 9 Jul 1979, A.J.C.Grierson & D.G.Long 2623 (E). West slope of Yuto La, Tongsa 27°31'N, 90°34'E, on bank in Abies densa / Rhododendron forest, shrub 1-3 m, fls green tinged crimson, 3270 m, 19 May 1979, A.J.C.Grierson & D.G.Long 1166 (E). 4.6 km NW of Pele La on the road between Wangdu Phodrang and Tongsa, mixed Rhododendron -coniferous forest, 3200 m, small tree ca 3 m tall, flowers white, 5 May 1984, fl, B.Bartholomew 1552 (CAS, E, PE, US). Gyelsia: 9800 ft, 27 Jun 1938, B.J.Gould 603 (K). China. Sichuan: Jingtang, 1933, T.D.Tu 4524 (IBSC). Xizang: S Tibet, Migyikum, Tsari Clus, 10000 ft, tree 10-15 ft, anthers brownish yellow, 23 May 1936, F.Ludlow & G.Sherriff 1672 (BM). SE Tibet, between Kumang & Nyubsang (Tsangpo Gorge), Kongbo, 9000 ft, calyx reddish brown, corolla greenish brown, filaments white, anthers brown, tree 10 ft high, growing in deciduous forest, 28 Apr 1947, Ludlow et al 13560 (E). Bomi Xian, from Bomi to Ga Wa Long alpine lake, 3453 m, 29°49.378'N, 95°42.546'E, tree ca. 7-10 m tall, 22 Jun 2009, fr, Tibet-MacArther (J. Wen et al.) 2612 (US); Bomi Xian, Tree Farm, in cut-down Picea forest, 3100 m, tree 3 m tall, leaves with gray lower surface, 8 Jun 1973, Qing Zang Team 73-94 (PE). Yadong Xian, A-Sang-Chun, in forest, 2840 m, tree 3-5 m, 1 Jun 1975, Qing Zang Supplement Team 750141 (PE, 4 sheets). A-Sang-Qiao, 2750 m, tree 7-8 m, fruit purplish red, 3 Jun 1975, fr, Qing Zang Supplement Team 750177 (PE). S Tibet, Trimo, Nyam Sang Chu, 11500 ft, tree 30-40 ft, perianth dark reddish green, in dense mixed forest, 23 May 1947, fl, F. Ludlow et al. 12522 (BM, E, PE). Lower Cama River, deciduous broadleaf forest, tree 7-8 m tall, leaf margin with light reddish glands, 18 Jun 1959, fr, Collector unknown 355 (PE). SE Tibet, Trulung, Po-Tsangpo Valley, Pome, tree 15-20 ft, perianth green, filaments white, anthers golden, in wet mixed forest, 3 Apr 1947, fl, Ludlow et al. 12274 (E, BM, PE). Yunnan: Tengchong, Houqiao, Danzha Cun, in the vicinity of Zhaobitan forest farm, ca. 26.5 direct km NW of Houqiao (Guyong), 2600 m, N facing 0-10° slope, 25°32'42.4"N, 98°13'9.4"E, subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest disturbed by agriculture and felling, shrub ca. 2 m tall, flowers green, anthers yellow, occasional, growing in forest in shade, in loam on granite, 29 May 2006, Gaoligong Shan Biodiversity Survey 30758 (CAS). India. Sikkim: Lachung East Slope, 9500 ft, 20 ft, shrub, flower purplish green, 4 May 1971, fl, S.Bower Lyon 6022 (BM). Superior, 9000 ft, May 1885, L.Pantling 46334A (K); temperate, May 1885, C.B.Clarke 46514B (K); Superior, May 1885, L.Pantling 46514C (BM); temperate, 8-10000 ft, J.D.Hooker s.n. (GH). Nepal. Mewa Khola: Tamur Valley, Mewa Khola, SE of Topke Gola, 9000 ft, shrub, 12 ft, 16 May 1956, J.D.A.Stainton 310 (BM). E, Nepal, Mewa Khola, 27°30'N, 87°38'E, 8000 ft, shrub 20 ft, 19 May 1974, J.D.A.Stainton 7038 (BM); E Nepal, Tamur Valley, 27°25'N, 87°35'E, 9500 ft, shrubs 15 ft, filaments white, sepals and bracts red, 26 Apr 1967, J.D.A.Stainton 5888 (BM).

Figures

Figure 1. Prunus himalayana J. Wen A Habit, flowering branch B Flower C Flower laid open showing the inside of hypanthium and the gynoecium D Perianth segment E Fruit F Vertical section of ripe fruit G Front view of young fruit H Lateral view of young fruit I Ovary cut open J, K Ovules L Seed M Embryo N Inner face of cotyledonand plumule O Double ovaries P Vertical section of an imperfect double ovary Q Ripe fruits on infructescence. Figure source: from Hooker & Thomson (1854, p. 381).