Fig. 1. Prunus padus L. ssp. padus f. roseus Hiitonen (Finland, Tampere, Viitapohja, 1993). – Image: Harri Harmaja (scanned from dried specimen). – The petals and the calyx are reddish. Moreover, the scent of the flowers is very faint, reminding that of hyacinth flower (phenylacetaldehyde).
Fig. 2. Prunus padus ssp. padus, morph with leafless peduncles (Finland, Lammi, Biological Station, 1994). – Image: Harri Harmaja (scanned from dried specimen). – Typically, the peduncles have a few small leaves. In addition, the racemes and flowers may be slightly more densely spaced than in typical P. padus, and also the odour may be slightly deviating.
Fig. 3. Prunus padus ssp. padus, morph with small racemes and flowers (Finland, Lammi, Halila 2000). – Image: Harri Harmaja (scanned from dried specimen). – This tree also deviates from typical P. padus in that the pedicels are shorter, the flowers are more densely situated in the raceme, the flower scent is weaker, and the leaves are slightly smaller. The peduncles are leafy (the leaves have got detached from some peduncles).
At least following variability in common Prunus padus s. str. (ssp. padus) (Rosaceae) of southern Finland has been detected by me: 1) the lower surface of leaves is usually non-pruinose but rarely pruinose (however, this character may vary within a tree), 2) young twigs, petioles and the adaxial surface of leaves are usually totally glabrous but rarely very short hyaline simple hairs occur at least on the upper surfaces of the petioles, extending to the adaxial midrib and major veins, 3) axillary hair tufts in lower surface of leaves may be very inconspicuous or distinct 4) these tufts are usually whitish but rarely brownish (or do they get coloured as the season proceeds?), 5) the peduncles are rarely leafless (Fig. 2), 6) the size and flower density of racemes and the size of flowers are variable (Fig. 3), 7) corolla and calyx are rarely reddish (Fig. 1), and 8) the kind of flower scent: normally it is of oil of bitter almonds (of benzaldehyde) but rarely appears to resemble that of hyacinth flowers (of phenylacetaldehyde). The leaf size, leaf thickness, position of petiole warts, and the intensity of flower scent are possibly also features that vary in P. padus.
Created August 29, 2004. Latest revision August 2, 2007.