Prunus persica

(Linnaeus) Batsch

Beytr. Entw. Gewächsreich, 30. 1801.

Common names: Peach pêcher
Introduced
Basionym: Amygdalus persica Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 1: 472. 1753
Synonyms: Persica vulgaris Miller
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 9. Treatment on page 371. Mentioned on page 355, 358.

Trees, not suckering, 30–100 dm, not thorny. Twigs with terminal end buds, glabrous. Leaves deciduous; petiole 5–10 (–15) mm, not winged, glabrous, sometimes glandular distally, glands 1–4, discoid; blade oblong to lanceolate, folded along midribs, often falcate, (5–) 7–15 × 2–4.5 cm, base cuneate to obtuse, margins crenulate-serrulate, teeth blunt, glandular, apex acuminate, surfaces glabrous. Inflorescences usually solitary flowers, sometimes 2-flowered fascicles. Pedicels 0–3 mm, glabrous. Flowers blooming before leaf emergence; hypanthium cupulate, 4–5 mm, glabrous externally; sepals spreading, oblong-ovate, 3.5–5 mm, margins entire, ciliate, abaxial surface hairy (especially along margins), adaxial glabrous; petals dark-pink, obovate to suborbiculate, 10–17 mm; ovaries hairy. Drupes yellow to orange tinged with red, globose, 40–80 mm, velutinous (glabrous in nectarines); mesocarps fleshy; stones ellipsoid, strongly flattened, deeply pitted, furrowed. 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering Feb–Apr; fruiting Jun–Aug.
Habitat: Roadsides, fencerows, abandoned farms, streamsides, canyons
Elevation: 0–2300 m

Distribution

V9 611-distribution-map.jpg

Introduced; N.S., Ont., Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Miss., Mo., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Va., W.Va., Wis., e Asia

Discussion

Peaches are cultivated throughout much of North America. Commercial production is diffuse, occurring in over half of the lower 48 states as well as in southern British Columbia and southern Ontario. Freestone peaches for fresh eating come largely from California, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina; most clingstones are used for canning and are grown in California. Nectarines are a variety with hairless skin. The fruits are popular on picnics, and peach saplings are commonly encountered anywhere pits are discarded. Escapes are usually short-lived; some escapes form naturalized populations. Double-flowered cultivars are used ornamentally.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Prunus persica"
acuminate +
Joseph R. Rohrer +
(Linnaeus) Batsch +
dark gray +, gray-brown +, reddish-brown +  and reddish +
compound +  and simple +
opposite +  and alternate +
cuneate +  and obtuse +
Amygdalus persica +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
falcate +, oblong +  and lanceolate +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br />) +
membranous +  and leathery +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (?) +  and 4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br /> (?) +
free +  and distinct +
Peach +  and pêcher +
solitary +, fascicles +, 2-flowered +  and umbellate +
N.S. +, Ont. +, Ala. +, Ariz. +, Ark. +, Calif. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Va. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +  and e Asia +
not +  and aggregated +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
yellow +  and orange tinged with red +
globose +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
0–2300 m +
flattened +
hairy +  and glabrous +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
not +  and aggregated +
not +  and aggregated +
not +  and aggregated +
Roadsides, fencerows, abandoned farms, streamsides, canyons +
persistent +  and deciduous +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
crassinucellate +
deciduous +
entire +  and crenulate-serrulate +
undulate +, toothed +, entire +, flat +  and lobed +
inferior +  and superior +
biseriate +  and clustered +
collateral +  and apical +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
0 (?) +  and 4 (?) +
free +  and distinct +
obovate;suborbiculate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
Flowering Feb–Apr +  and fruiting Jun–Aug. +
adnate +, free +, connate +  and distinct +
Beytr. Entw. Gewächsreich, +
not arillate +
free +  and distinct +
oblong-ovate +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
Introduced +
free +  and distinct +
branched +  and simple +
1 +  and 20 +
linear;lanceolate +
flattened +  and ellipsoid +
deciduous +
distinct +
basal +, lateral +, subterminal +  and terminal +
not elongate +
Persica vulgaris +
Prunus persica +
species +
inconspicuous +
tree +  and not suckering +
hairy +  and glabrous +