Prunus gracilis, called the Oklahoma plum,[3][2] sour plum, and sand plum, is a species of Prunus native to the south-central United States.
Prunus gracilis | |
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1913 illustration[1] | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Rosaceae |
Genus: | Prunus |
Subgenus: | Prunus subg. Prunus |
Section: | Prunus sect. Prunocerasus |
Species: | P. gracilis
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Binomial name | |
Prunus gracilis | |
Synonyms | |
Prunus normalis Small |
Prunus gracilis grows up to 1.8 metres (6 feet) tall, has five-petaled leaves, and fruits ripen June–August.[4] It grows in clusters and thickets.[5] It is hermaphroditic and pollinated by insects.[2]
The specific epithet Gracilis refers to 'slender branches'.[6]
It is natively found in various states of the United States, including Alabama, southwestern Arkansas, southeastern Colorado, Kansas, northwestern Louisiana, eastern New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.[2][7][8][9]
It is found growing in fence rows, open woodlands, woodlands edge, forest openings, hillsides, slopes, sandy roadsides, upland thickets and waste places. It is normally found at 100–1,300 m (330–4,270 ft) above sea level.[2]
Its red fruits are considered poor for eating, but Native Americans dried them for consumption during winter.[10]