How Much Do You Know About Spring Flowers? - A Guide to Viewing Spring Flowers of the Rosaceae Family (Part 2)

Produced by: Science Popularization China

Author: Wang Han ( Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences )

Producer: China Science Expo

Audit experts: Liu Bing, Liu Binbin

Various plants of the subfamily Prunus, most of them bloom in spring

(Image credit: Hoffmann, K., Dennert, E., Botanischer Bilderatlas nach dem natürlichem Pflanzensystem (1911))

In the previous article, we talked about the Spiraeideae and Maloideae in the traditional classification system, which are in full bloom and each has its own spring beauty. Now, getting back to the topic, continuing from the last article, we will begin to introduce the Rosoideae and Prunoideae, which are equally beautiful and enviable.

Rosoideae - When it comes to appearance, we never lose!

The fruits of the Rosaceae subfamily are mostly achenes (achenes are small, contain one seed, and have a hard pericarp that is easily separated from the seed coat. Achenes do not crack, so they are closed fruits among dry fruits) or small drupes.

Achenes, the circled part is the seed

(Image source: self-made by the author)

The fruits are borne on the receptacle or in the enlarged fleshy receptacle after ripening, such as strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) and rose (Rosa rugosa). The Rosaceae subfamily has many beautiful species and has contributed a large number of ornamental plants.

Strawberry fruit

(Photo source: PPBC, @朱强)

Rose fruit

(Photo source: PPBC, @周繇)

In the era of molecular biology, taxonomists have readjusted the Rosaceae subfamily, separating the former genus Dryas from it and forming the Dryadoideae subfamily with three other genera that originally belonged to the Rosaceae subfamily (all four genera can fix nitrogen), which is considered to be a relatively primitive group in the Rosaceae family; Rhodotypos and Kerria were also placed in the merged Prunoideae subfamily.

Dryas - You don't see "fairies" everywhere

Although it is difficult to see the fairy wood (Dryas octopetala) in daily life, it is very interesting, so I would like to introduce it to you. The "fairy wood" is a true mountain flower, which is only distributed in the temperate alpine areas and cold zones of the Northern Hemisphere.

The reason why "Fairywood" is called "wood" is because it is a very low shrub that lies on the ground. The oval leaves have concave lines along the veins and blunt serrations on the edges. The small white flowers are dotted with yellow centers, and most have 8 petals. When in full bloom, the flowers are full of fairy air. When the fruit is ripe, it still has a fluffy style, which is very similar to the fruit of Pulsatilla chinensis.

Flowers of the Fairy Tree

(Photo source: PPBC, @刘冰)

Fruit of the fairy tree

(Photo source: PPBC, @叶喜阳)

Have you ever heard of the Younger Dryas? A sudden, massive cooling event. Some say it was caused by an asteroid impact, others say it was caused by global warming, where melting glaciers changed ocean currents and affected the climate. After the Ice Age peaked about 18,000 years ago, the Earth began to warm. But about 12,000 years ago, the Younger Dryas suddenly occurred, causing a massive cooling event that wiped out many animals.

What does this event have to do with the Dryas? The Dryas are widely distributed in cold regions, but people have found pollen fossils of the Dryas from this period in temperate regions. This shows that the period was very cold and the distribution range of the Dryas expanded to the temperate zone. Therefore, this event is called the "Younger Dryas Event."

Why is it called "Younger"? Because there was a similar cooling event before this, called the "Older Dryas", which occurred 14,000 years ago. If you are interested, you can check the relevant information. I won't say more here.

Rubus : The Finale of a Brilliant Spring

The camellia has withered, and the moon is as bright as water.

Rubus species are mostly weeds in the countryside, mostly small thorny shrubs, with small white or pink flowers looming in the countryside, which is quite wild. In late summer, they will produce yellow, red, or black fruits. According to Mr. Lu Xun, they are "like small balls of coral beads". However, there are many species in the genus Rubus, with great variability and complex types, so it is difficult to classify them based on external morphology alone.

A small number of plants in the genus Rubus are widely cultivated as fruits, such as the raspberry (Rubus idaeus), known as the blackberry (R. fruticosus), etc., but others are less well known.

Raspberry fruit

(Photo source: PPBC, @徐晔春)

Blackberry fruit

(Image source: Gardening Know How)

Among them, the variant of R. rosifolius, R. rosifolius var. coronarius, is considered to be a flower highly respected by the ancients - the genus Rubus, which is one of the few Rubus plants used as ornamental plants. The genus Rubus has pinnate leaves and thorny branches. As a small climbing shrub, the genus Rubus often needs to be placed on a rack, so the word "rack" is often used in ancient poems about genus Rubus.

The white flowers of the tea plant are double-petaled and fragrant, as if they were carved from rough jade. In ancient poetry, it is often written as "酴醾". One theory is that it got its name because the color of the flower resembles 酴醾 wine; another theory is that 酴醾 wine has existed for a long time, and that wine was made from 酴醾 wine. There are many different opinions, and it is no longer possible to verify.

The flower of the double-petaled hollow vine (biāo)

(Photo source: PPBC, @吴棣飞)

The ancients believed that the tea rose was the last flower to bloom in spring, and that spring was over when the tea rose fell. The phrase "when the tea rose blooms, the event is over" is full of deep sorrow.

Rosa - If you don’t look carefully, you really can’t tell the difference!

The roses can be arranged in an arrangement, and the leaves in the vase are still green even after the flowers have fallen.

It is so gorgeous and beautiful that it is more beautiful than any painting. Who gave it the name of rose?

The crystal curtain moves in the breeze, and the whole yard is filled with the fragrance of roses.

Helplessly, the cuckoo’s calls are frequent, and the wood fragrance still has a hint of spring.

The genus Rosa is a large family of ornamental plants, most of which have odd-pinnate compound leaves, shrub-like, and thorny branches. They have rich colors, fragrant smells, elegant shapes, long viewing periods, and strong adaptability. It is hard not to be popular! There are about 200 species of Rosa, and my country has 95 species, which is the modern distribution center of the genus Rosa.

Although plants in the genus Rosae are of the same lineage, the relationships within the genus are complex and have yet to be fully determined due to hybridization, polyploidization, incomplete lineage sorting (species differentiation is short, and genes have already differentiated before species differentiation. If this gene is used for analysis, what is obtained is the relationship of this gene in the evolutionary process, rather than the true relationship of species evolution).

When it comes to common ornamental plants in the Rosaceae family, the first things that come to mind are Chinese roses, roses and roses. The secrets of these three are already old news, so please follow us to learn more about them!

First of all, the real rose is not the kind given as a gift on Valentine's Day, but this real rose (Rosa rugosa). The flower color is rose red (also white), with 7 or 9 pinnate leaves, and the leaves are full of wrinkles. The specific epithet "rugosa" means "wrinkled". It has many small thorns and is indeed not as beautiful as the "roses" in flower shops, but it has a charming fragrance and can be used to extract essential oils. It is also indispensable in the production of flower cakes.

The word "rose" was first seen in "Han Shu·Volume 57" "Rose, fire and pearl", referring to a kind of gem; referring to the rose plant, it may have first appeared in "Xijing Miscellaneous Notes" by Ge Hong of the Eastern Jin Dynasty: "Rose trees grow naturally in Leyou Garden, and there are many alfalfas under the trees." In addition, rose also had other names such as "assassin", "wandering grass" and "plum and locust" in ancient times.

True Rose

(Photo source: PPBC, @周繇)

Rose leaves plantdelights

(Photo source: PPBC, @朱鑫鑫)

Hybrid tea roses are a common sight in flower shops. Compared to roses, roses have five pinnate leaves and their flowers are much more beautiful. Chinese roses (R. chinensis) and tea roses (R. odorata, Tea rose) have all participated in the formation of hybrid tea roses, providing the characteristics of continuous blooming and a light tea fragrance ( yes, our roses are pure and the flowers are as light as tea ).

Chinese rose is the city flower of Beijing. The specific epithet "chinensis" indicates its origin with China. The specific epithet "odorata" of the perfume rose means "sweet-smelling".

In 1876, Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Guillot hybridized perfume roses with hybrid perpetual roses to obtain the first hybrid perfume rose, named R. 'La France'. Internationally, 1867 is used as the boundary, and all rose varieties, cultivars and original species before that are collectively referred to as "Old Roses", and rose varieties bred after that are called "Modern Roses". To date, there are more than 40,000 ornamental rose varieties.

Ancient people also loved roses very much, often wrote poems for them, and called them "crazy guests" and "thin guests". Song Qi of the Northern Song Dynasty said in "Brief Records of Yibu Fangwu" that roses "bloom all year round, bloom once a month. They do not change in cold or hot weather, as if they are always there." It is this characteristic of "one season per month" that makes roses so famous, and it also allows roses to travel across oceans and mountains, and bloom in foreign countries, leaving their fragrance forever.

Red rose flower

(R. chinensis 'Slater's Crimson', photo source: PPBC, @武晶)

Tea Rose

(Photo source: PPBC, @宋鼎)

Finally, let's talk about roses. In ancient times, roses were also called "Wall Wei", "Wall Mi", "Rose Wei", etc., and some literati called it "Snow Guest". Chinese roses, roses and roses all belong to the genus Rosa, so it is not wrong to call them all roses. However, it is generally believed that those plants of the genus Rosa with thin branches clinging to the support, small flowers gathered in clusters, and only blooming for a period of time are roses.

The most common one is the wild rose (R. multiflora), which has small bunches of small white flowers, each with 5 petals, and the tip is concave. It looks very simple, but the advantage is the huge number of flowers (multiflora means "many flowers"). However, after getting used to the bright red and green, the small white flowers are really lovable. Baiyutang (R. multiflora 'Albo-Plena') is a cultivated variety of wild rose, with double-petaled small flowers.

Wild rose

(Photo source: PPBC, @刘军)

Bai Yutang

(Photo source: PPBC, @陈又生)

The Pink Cluster Rose (R. multiflora var. cathayensis) is a variant of the wild rose, with a touch of pink compared to the wild rose, a bit like Huanbi wearing a flower on her head. The Discoloring Cluster Rose (R. multiflora 'Discoloring Cluster') and the Strong Fragrance Cluster Rose (R. multiflora 'Strong Fragrance') are cultivated varieties of the Pink Cluster Rose, both of which have overlapping double flowers. The former is pinker at first and then gradually fades; while the latter is rose-red and gorgeous all the time.

Pink Rose

(Photo source: PPBC, @刘军)

Color-changing pink rose

(Photo source: PPBC, @曾佑派)

Fragrant pink rose

(Photo source: PPBC, @曾佑派)

In addition, there are many charming ornamental plants in the genus Rosa. Banksiae is also a traditional ornamental flower with 5-7 leaflets and small white flowers that are mostly double and gathered into umbels. One of its variants, yellow banksiae (R. banksiae f. lutea), is also very beautiful.

Woodruff

(Photo source: PPBC, @李光敏)

Yellow woodruff flower

(Photo source: PPBC, @刘军)

If the yellow osmanthus flower is a waterfall of sunshine, then the yellow thorn rose (R. xanthina) is like a yellow diamond inlaid in bronze. The pinnate compound leaves of the yellow thorn rose are very small, with up to 13 leaflets, and the flowers are large and bright yellow; the ripe fruits are ruddy and shiny, like polished mahogany beads.

Rosea rubra

(Photo source: PPBC, @周繇)

The roxburghii has 7-15 leaflets and its flowers are a bit like roses, but the sepals and receptacles are densely covered with thorns, and the fruit is also covered with thorns when it matures. Do you think the fruit looks familiar? Yes, it is the popular fruit, the roxburghii.

Flowers and fruits of the silk flower

(Photo source: PPBC, @刘军)

Laevigata is more common in the mountains of the south, and its pinnate leaves often have only 3. I remember encountering Laevigata once in Yuelu Mountain. Several jade flowers were adorned on emerald branches, hanging down from a height, as if fairies had visited the world.

Rosa laevigata

(Photo source: PPBC, @刘军)

Kerria & Rhodotypos - What color is Yamabuki?

It looks like thousands of golden dots, spread all over the jade bamboo basket.

The genera Deutzia and Rhodotypos scandens are closely related, both of them belong to the subtribe Kerriinae (subtribe is a lower classification of tribe, and tribe is between family and genus). As mentioned before, most of the Rosaceae have 5 petals and 5 sepals, and Deutzia is a typical obedient girl, but Rhodotypos scandens is unique, with only 4 petals and sepals.

Chicken

(Photo source: PPBC, @李光敏)

Kerria japonica is a small shrub of the genus Kerria. It has green, thin and soft branches and small yellow flowers. There is also a double-petaled variety, Kerria japonica 'Pleniflora'. Kerria japonica is a well-known wild flower in Japan, known as Yamabuki. There are many haiku describing Yamabuki in the Manyoshu, such as "The shadow of the Kamina Hikari River is seen now, the Yamabuki flowers of the Kamina Hikari River are blooming" (The sound of frogs drumming, the Yamabuki flowers of the Kamina Hikari River are blooming). The Japanese call the color of Kerria japonica Yamabuki color, which is also a color that the Japanese are fascinated by.

Dianthus

(Photo source: PPBC, @王瀚)

Deerberry

(Photo source: PPBC, @李光敏)

The genus Jima is also a small shrub, but its flowers are pure white and have epicalyxes; its leaves are opposite to each other, unlike those of the genus Deutzia; its branches are brown. The Japanese thought that the genus Jima was a white Deutzia, so they also called it Shirayamabuki.

Leaves of Deutzia chinensis and Hemp

(Photo source: PPBC, @李光敏)

Subfamily Prunoideae

Members of the subfamily Prune are basically drupes, which usually develop from a single pistil with a seed inside. The pericarp of a mature drupe is clearly divided into three layers: the exocarp is thin, the mesocarp is fleshy and juicy, and the endocarp is woody and hard. If you look closely at the flowers of members of the subfamily Prune, you will find that they only have one pistil.

Drupe diagram

(Image source: self-made by the author)

Amygdalus - now merged into Prunus

There are countless peach blossoms blooming in the south of the village, but I am the only one who comes here alone out of sentimentality.

A cluster of peach blossoms bloom without an owner. Do you prefer the deep red or the light red?

The peach blossoms are still red with the night rain, and the willows are green with the morning mist.

When spring is about to begin and the wind is still chilly, the Prunus davidiana is already in full bloom. Petals of pink are spread across the old rice paper on the barren West Mountain, creating a freehand and romantic spring scene. Prunus davidiana usually has single petals, light pink or pure white, and the flowers are close to the branches; Prunus davidiana blooms early, with flowers before leaves; in addition, Prunus davidiana is a tall tree with a smooth brown-red trunk.

Peach

(Photo source: PPBC, @王瀚)

Peach blossoms (P. persica) bloom a little later than wild peach. When they bloom, their branches often already have some leaves. The pink peach blossoms often start from the inside, with a layer of blush spreading outwards, which is very charming. Compared with wild peaches, peach petals are more oval or oblong. The trunks are often gray-black and rough. The lanceolate leaves are also much thinner than those of wild peaches.

Peach

(Photo source: PPBC, @Wei Ze)

There are also many horticultural varieties of peach blossoms, with a wide variety of names that are dazzling, and they are usually relatively short. Common ornamental varieties include P. persica 'Duplex', P. persica 'Camelliaeflora', etc.

The main difference between the two is the number of petals. The pink peach is plum-shaped, with fewer petals than the peony-shaped crimson peach. The chrysanthemum peach (P. persica 'Juhuatao') is even more distinctive, with petals shaped like filaments, very similar to the petals of chrysanthemums. The Er Qiao peach (P. persica 'Er Qiao') will have two colors of flowers on the same branch, and even the same flower can have two colors.

Peach, crimson peach, chrysanthemum peach and two peach

(Photo source: PPBC, @李光敏@刘冰@张敬莉@王梓)

P. triloba is also very common in landscape gardening. P. triloba has single or double petals, and the pink flowers are densely packed on the branches when in full bloom. The stalks of P. triloba are relatively short, but not without; generally, the flowers bloom before the leaves, and the leaves look very similar to elm leaves, rough and hairy.

Prunus armeniaca

(Photo source: PPBC, @朱仁斌)

Armeniaca - now merged into Prunus

I listened to the spring rain in the small building all night, and sold apricot blossoms in the deep alley the next morning.

The red apricot blossoms are scattered randomly, and the new green water apples are spread out evenly.

The spring breeze first brings the plum blossoms into the garden, followed by the cherry, apricot, peach and pear blossoms.

Apart from the refreshing and sweet apricots and the mellow and sweet dried apricots, apricot (P. armeniaca) is rarely seen in people's vision today. However, ancient people often "cheered" for apricot blossoms and felt sad about the "spring melancholy" together with other sisters in the Rosaceae family.

The pedicels of apricot flowers are also almost invisible, clinging to the branches; the flowers are white with a hint of red, and the sepals are purple-red, stubbornly folded back backwards, which can be considered a very unique feature of apricot flowers; when the apricots fade and spring comes to an end, their oval leaves with tail tips (the leaf tips are sharp, as if with a tail) begin to turn green.

apricot

(Photo source: PPBC, @赵宏)

P. sibirica blooms as early as P. sibirica, and can be described as a small messenger that dispels the barrenness. P. sibirica and P. sibirica are similar in shape, but their flowers, leaves, and fruits are smaller than those of P. sibirica.

Prunus armeniaca

(Photo source: PPBC, @周繇)

The winter plum (P. mume) in the south often blooms in the snow and in the wind, but in the north it blooms later than the wild peach and apricot. Plum blossoms first and leaves later, often with a sweet fragrance, much more charming than peach, plum, and apricot, and far better than pear and hawthorn blossoms. As a small tree, the plum tree is not very tall; at the same time, the green branches are pointed at the ends, looking like thorns. Shi Yannian's poem says: "Recognize peach without green leaves, identify apricot with green branches", which is a vivid portrayal of the shape of plum.

plum

(Photo source: PPBC, @李垚)

There is also a kind of apricot plum (P. mume var. bungo), which is a hybrid of apricot and plum. In terms of morphology, it is between the two.

Apricot plum

(Photo source: PPBC, @李光敏)

Cerasus - now merged into Prunus

A new red cherry tree has been planted in the small garden, and it is convenient to stroll around the branches.

The cherry blossoms have all fallen and the moon is shining in front of the steps, I am leaning against the incense burner on the ivory bed in sorrow.

Cherry blossom viewing was popular in Japan during the Tang Dynasty, as were the peonies and crabapples.

I don't know when it started, but cherry blossom viewing became popular. When the cherry blossoms in Yuyuantan are in full bloom, people are crowded. The cherry blossoms are noisy on the branches, and people who watch the flowers are bustling under the flowers. The most obvious difference between cherry blossoms and the above beauties is that there is usually a small gap on the edge of the cherry blossom petals. Emoji expressions vividly express this detail.

Sakura Emoji

(Image source: Emojiall)

The small indentation at the front of the cherry blossom petals

(Photo source: PPBC, @朱鑫鑫)

Early cherry blossoms refer to cherry blossoms that bloom earlier than Somei-yoshino cherry blossoms (P. × yedoensis 'Somei-yoshino'). Those that bloom at a similar time are called mid-season cherry blossoms, while those that bloom 10 days later are called late cherry blossoms. Among the cherry blossoms, early cherry blossoms bloom the earliest and have flowers before leaves, while late cherry blossoms already have large leaves.

Among them, the bell-flowered cherry (P. campanulata) blooms the earliest, with two or three rose-red flowers clustered together. The bell-shaped calyx tube and slender pedicels are both purple-red, and the pedicels are slender and long, making the flowers droop and look shy and lovely. The Somei Yoshino cherry among the Tokyo cherry (P. × yedoensis) follows closely, with white and pink flowers, like a fragrant breeze blowing snow and flowing scenery stepping on the branches. The mountain cherry (P. sargentii) is not far behind, and also blooms pink single-petal flowers. Compared with other cherry blossoms, the notch on the petals of the mountain cherry seems to be less obvious, and even has a small tip.

In 1972, when the then Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka restored diplomatic relations between China and Japan, he presented the mountain cherry trees to China as a state gift. These mountain cherry trees were planted in today's National Botanical Garden, Yuyuantan Park, etc.

Later, the late cherry blossoms bloomed, and the flowers and leaves complemented each other. The layers of Sekiyama cherry (P. serrulata 'Sekiyama') look like a pink princess dress; the yellow cherry (P. serrulata var. lannesiana 'Gioiko') is green with yellow, and the center of the flower reveals bright red; and the yellow-green cherry (P. serrulata 'Grandiflora') is a rare yellow-green color that catches the eye; they are all "relatives" of the mountain cherry (P. serrulata).

Bellflower cherry, Somei Yoshino cherry, Oyama cherry, Guanshan cherry, Imperial yellow cherry, Yujin cherry and mountain cherry

(Photo source: PPBC, @朱鑫鑫@张亞州@李光敏@李西贝阳@王钧杰@朱仁斌@周繇)

Cherry (P. pseudocerasus) flowers are not often seen in people's vision, and the fruit has been overshadowed by cherries. Cherry flowers are white with pink, and the stamens are slightly longer than those of ornamental cherry flowers relative to the petals, and the pedicels are shorter. Cherry is actually the transliteration of "Cherries", which is the trade name of European sweet cherry (P. avium). The flowers are slightly larger and whiter than cherries; the calyx bends back after opening; and the calyx tube of European sweet cherry is convex, like a small ball.

Cherries and sweet cherries

(Photo source: PPBC, @李垚@王钧杰)

The above mentioned are all typical cherry blossoms, which are considered to be typical cherry subgenus (subg. Cerasus) in traditional classification. The following types have no glandular points, no concave petals, and are often in the form of small shrubs , belonging to the dwarf cherry subgenus (subg. Microcerasus). Current research has found that P. tomentosa is more closely related to Prunus elmifolia; while P. humilis, P. japonica, and P. glandulosa are more closely related to P. salicina.

The pedicels of the hairy cherry are very short or almost non-existent, and many small flowers bloom in clusters, with a pink-white color; the leaves are rough and feel hairy; the calyx tube is in the shape of a long tube.

European Plum, Japanese Plum and Wheat Plum are very similar, all of which have short bell-shaped calyx, hairless and oblong leaves, slightly long pedicels (the difference from hairy cherry) and small pink flowers.

The difference between the three is that the leaves of Prunus cerasifera are widest below the middle, Prunus cerasifera are widest at or near the middle, and Prunus oleifera are widest above the middle. Moreover, the fruit of Prunus cerasifera is the largest, and the style of Prunus cerasifera is a little hairy. However, Prunus cerasifera is the most commonly used in landscaping. When the double-petaled Prunus cerasifera blooms, it is very dreamy, pink and tender, which makes people's hearts melt.

European plum, plum, wheat plum

(Photo source: PPBC, @张敬莉@周繇@陈又生)

Prunus mume

(Photo source: PPBC, @王瀚)

Prunus - You didn't expect that they all belonged to me!

Elms and willows shade the back eaves, peach and plum trees line the front of the hall.

Peaches and plums are in their youth; who can refuse the day?

A cup of wine in the spring breeze, a lamp for ten years in the night rain.

Plum blossoms are also a member of the Rosaceae spring flowers, but I vaguely heard that they are overshadowed by peach blossoms, pear blossoms, apricot blossoms and crabapple blossoms in terms of fame. They are often bundled together in poems to form a "peach and plum" combination (Plum: Thank you for hurting me so hard).

But things have changed. Now, researchers have discovered through molecular biological methods that these genera that once belonged to the subfamily Prunoideae all came from the same ancestor, but their kinship is so difficult to separate that if they were separated, many new genera would have to be created. Therefore, in the end, the genera Prunus, Apricot and Prunus were all merged into the genus Prunus, and divided into subgenera Prunus (subg. Prunus), subgenera Cerasus (subg. Cerasus), subgenera Padus, etc.

To get back to the point, plum flowers are usually single-petaled, pure white in color, with obvious pedicels visible, and often two or three flowers bloom together, with leaves just beginning to appear when they bloom; plum trees are also often tall trees with rough, gray-brown trunks.

plum

(Photo source: PPBC, @宣晶)

Purple-leaf plum (P. cerasifera 'Atropurpurea') is a common greening tree. The most obvious difference between it and plum is that the leaves, sepals and pedicels of purple-leaf plum are purple-red, the petals are pink-white, and they often grow one by one on the branches; and when the purple-leaf plum blooms, it often has already grown many leaves.

Purple Leaf Plum

(Photo source: PPBC, @周立新)

There is another ornamental plant that is similar to Prunus purpurea, P. × blireana 'Meiren', which is a cross between Prunus purpurea and Prunus purpurea. Prunus purpurea generally has larger flowers than Prunus purpurea, with double pink petals, and the pedicels are shorter and thicker, and the arrangement of the petals on the pedicels is very similar to that of Prunus purpurea; the leaves are also somewhat similar to Prunus purpurea, but with a sharp tip at the tip.

Beauty plum

(Photo source: PPBC, @陈又生)

The bird cherry (P. padus) was once a distinct species, but has now been absorbed into the genus Prunus and no longer exists. The flowers of the bird cherry are significantly different from those of its sisters above - the dense white flowers are no longer borne on the branches, but are gathered on an inflorescence axis to form a raceme. In addition, the bird cherry has glands on the petiole or base of the leaves that secrete nectar.

Prunus aviculare

(Photo source: PPBC, @陈又生)

If you are not confused after reading this, you can take advantage of the spring and bring your friends to the botanical garden to identify flowers. Now is your time to show off your skills!

Editor: Sun Chenyu

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(Note: Latin text should be italicized.)