CPC National Collection Plant Profile
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CPC National Collection Plant Profile
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Prunus maritima var. gravesii
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Prunus maritima var. gravesii is Fully Sponsored |
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Primary
custodian for this plant in the CPC National Collection of Endangered
Plants is: |
| Prunus maritima var. gravesii | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Originally found by Small in 1897, this variety no longer exists in the wild. It differs from the common beach plum (P. maritima) in that it has round instead of elliptical leaves. It turns out that this plant is a mutant derivative that depends on P. gravesii for pollen. Some consider it morphologically distinct from Prunus maritima, worthy of recognization as a variety (var. gravesii) (Kartesz 1999). Others question its taxonomic significance (NatureServe 2001). However, it does not breed true despite being self-fertile. The only plants of this variety that still exist were grown from cuttings taken the original plant. (Anderson 1980) The New York Botanic Garden has successfully cultivated cuttings and the variety is currently grown as an ornamental plant. It produces white single or double flowers in May and edible fruit in late summer that is purple to crimson in color. Only one individual has ever been found in the wild and lived over 100 years after it’s initial discovery, eventually dying from natural causes at the turn of the century (NatureServe 2001).
State Range
Distribution
Number Left
State/Area Protection
Ecological Relationships
Threats
Current Research Summary
Current Management Summary
Research Management Needs Ex Situ Needs
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References |
Kartesz, J.T. 1999. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the U.S., Canada, and Greenland. In: Kartesz, J.T.; Meacham, C.A., editors. Synthesis of the North American Flora, Version 1.0. North Carolina Botanical Garden. Chapel Hill, NC. |
(2002). Endangered and Threatened Plants. [Web site] The New York Botanical Garden. http://www.nybg.org/gardens/ndanger.html. Accessed: 2002. |
NatureServe. (2008). NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. [Internet].Version 7.0. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. http://www.natureserve.org/explorer. Accessed: (June 17, 2008). |
Anderson, G.J. 1980. New England note: change in status for Prunus gravesii. Rhodora. 82, 830: 375-376. |
Gemma, J.N.; Koske, R.E. 1997. Arbuscular mycorrhizae in sand dune plants of the north Atlantic Coast of the US: Field and greenhouse inoculation and presence of mycorrhizae in planting stock. Journal of Environmental Management. 50, 3: 251-264. |
Macfarlane, J.M. 1892. The beach plum, viewed from botanical and economic aspects. Contributions from the Botanical laboratory of the University of Pennsylvania. 2, 2: 216-230. |
Meiners, S.J.; Stiles, E.W. 1997. Selective predation on the seeds of woody plants. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society. 124, 1: 67-70. |
USFWS. 1976. Proposed Endangered Status for 1700 U.S. Plants. Federal Register. 41: 24523-24572. |
1999. Rare Plant Fact Sheets. Augusta, Maine, USA: Maine Department of Conservation, Natural Areas Division. |
Clark, R.A.; Uva, R.H.; Simser, D.H. 2000. The beach plum: a history and grower's guide. Barnstable, MA: Cape Cod Cooperative Extension. p.14. |
Davis, Sherman Gilbert. 1942. Utilization and composition of the beach plum (Prunus maritima). [M.S. Thesis]: Massachusetts State College. 25p. |
| This profile was updated on 3/4/2010 |