Cherry (Prunus avium), Fruit
The Wild Cherry (Prunus avium) is a species of cherry in genus Prunus of family Rosaceae. It is also known as Sweet Cherry, Mazzard or Gean. Wild cherry is native to Europe and western Asia. Most cherry cultivars are derived from Prunus avium. In Latin language, Prunus avium means "bird cherry", while 'bird cherry' is referring to Prunus padus in English. Wild cherry tree is a deciduous tree growing 15-32 m tall, with a trunk diameter of 1.5 m. Young tree has bark that is smooth, purplish-brown with prominent gray-brown lenticels, becoming thick, dark blackish-brown and fissured when mature. The bark peels away in horizontal strips. The leaves are alternate, obovate to elliptic, 7-14 cm long and 4-7 cm wide, serrated margin and an acute tip, with a green or reddish petiole 2-3.5 cm long. The petiole bears 2-5 small red glands (extrafloral nectaries) at the base of the leaf. In autumn, the leaves turn orange, yellow, pink or red before falling. In early spring, the flowers are produced before the new leaves. The five-petaled flowers are white, 2.5-3.5 cm in diameter, borne singly or in corymbs of 2-6 together, and hanging on a 2-5 cm peduncle. The flowers are hermaphroditic (having both male and female sexes) and are pollinated by bees. The wild cherry fruit is a drupe, 1-2 cm in diameter, turning from green to bright red or dark purple when mature in mid summer, and containing a single hard-shelled stone. The fruit has a weak groove or none along one side. The cherry is edible, of varied degree of sweetness to somewhat astringent and bitter to eat fresh. The cherries are a favorite food to numerous birds and mammals, which disperse the seeds in their droppings. All parts of the plants, except the ripe fruit, are slightly toxic, containing cyanogenic glycosides. Cherries contain anthocyanins, the red pigment and a powerful antioxidant, has been known to reduce pain and inflammation in rats. Cherries can be eaten fresh and whole, make into jam or distilled as wine.  Cherries (Prunus avium) Author: 4028mdk09 (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported) | ||
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