Tree identification


I wish i had pics of it, so i'll have to describe it
as well as I can.

Anyway, on my school's campus (CSU Monterey Bay), we
have a lot of trees left over from it being an army
base. The Army has a tendency to plant whatever is
cheap or whatever will grow. So there's a tree about
30 feet tall near the computer labs. Every spring it
gets covered in spikes of flowers.

The flowers are 5 petaled, white, but the petals
aren't showy. The stigmas are much showier, and they
surround a central pistil. The stigmas seem to be
attached to the "rim" of a cup like fusion of the
petals. The sepals are joined into a cup like
structure as well. Something like how leptospermum
flowers are, but this isn't one. The petals also
reflex back to expose the stigmas. The flowers are
about 1/4 inch wide at the most as well. The effect
from a distance of the inflorescences is kind of like
a pipe cleaner. Inflorescences are also in branched
groups. 

The fruits look like black cherries and contain a
large central seed. The seed is rounded and about a
half inch in diameter. They have little flesh compared
to seed.

The leaves are oval, much longer than wide, and come
to a long point. So they're teardrop shaped with the
rounded edge attached to the petiole and the top the
tip of the leaf. Leaves are dark green. The tree is
also not deciduous. 

Naturally, i wasn't about to taste the fruit to see if
it was edible. I'm not a risk taker like that. The
plant doesnt seem to form many fruits. I only found
one on it last year but found a few pulled off on the
ground. It looks very nice however. Better than most
of the trees that get neglected on campus. 

Barry Garcia
USDA: 9
Sunset: 17
North, Central, Coastal California
Foggy summers, warm summers and springs
and occasional light frosts

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