Peraphyllum

Peraphyllum
Peraphyllum ramosissimum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Subfamily: Amygdaloideae[1]
Tribe: Maleae
Subtribe: Malinae
Genus: Peraphyllum
Nutt.
Species: P. ramosissimum
Binomial name
Peraphyllum ramosissimum
Nutt.

Peraphyllum is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the rose family, containing the single species Peraphyllum ramosissimum, commonly known as the squaw apple or wild crab apple.

Translated from the Greek, the genus Peraphyllum means "very leafy" and the species name ramosissimum means "many branches". Peraphyllum is most closely related to Amelanchier, Malacomeles, Crataegus, and Mespilus.[2]

Distribution

Peraphyllum ramosissimum grows in California, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico usually in pine and juniper woodlands. In California it can be found in the High Cascades, High Sierra Nevada, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert sky islands.

Description

Peraphyllum ramosissimum is a shrub which may reach 3 metres (9.8 ft) in height and bears small pomes about 1 centimetre (0.39 in) wide. The leaves are simple; they can grow very close together on short shoots but are well separated on longer shoots.[3]

Like most other flowering plants of the Rosaceae, Peraphyllum ramosissimum has 5 petals and 5 sepals with radial symmetry. The flowers have about 15-20 free stamens, the petals are white to rose in color.

References

  1. ↑ Potter, D., et al. (2007). Phylogeny and classification of Rosaceae. Plant Systematics and Evolution. 266(1–2): 5–43. [Referring to the subfamily by the name "Spiraeoideae"]
  2. ↑ Campbell, C.S.; Evans, R.C.; Morgan, D.R.; Dickinson, T.A.; Arsenault, M.P. (2007). Phylogeny of subtribe Pyrinae (formerly the Maloideae, Rosaceae): Limited resolution of a complex evolutionary history. Plant Systematics and Evolution. 266(1–2): 119–145.
  3. ↑ Janene Auger and Justin G. Smith, Peraphyllum ramosissimum Nutt., squaw-apple in Woody Plant Seed Manual Interim Web Site

External links

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