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My thought was yet a third species of the
Laurocerasus subgenus, viz. Prunus lusitanica, Portugal laurel.
Tony Rodd
Sydney, Australia
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2003 5:45
PM
Subject: RE: Tree identification
It looks like laurel-cherry, Prunus laurocerassus.
Fran
de la Mota
Madrid, Spain
Zone 7b
----- Original Message -----
From: Doobieous <doobieous@yahoo.com>
To: <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
Sent:
Thursday, April 10, 2003 6:47 AM
Subject: 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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