Family |
Rosaceae
Prunus argentea
(Lam.) Rehder
Prunus argentea (Lam.) Rehder
(First published in J. Arnold Arbor. 3: 27; 1922. Treated in Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 2, p. 681; 1969)
• Life-form & habit: Shrub or small tree, often 2–5 m tall, with many branches; branchlets usually glabrous.
• Leaves: Elliptic to oblong, finely crenate-dentate, base cuneate, apex acute; upper surface green, lower surface silvery-white or tomentose, giving the species its name.
• Inflorescence & flowers: Flowers solitary or paired, appearing before or with the leaves. Pedicels slender. Petals white, rounded; calyx lobes triangular.
• Fruit: Drupe globose-ovoid, blackish at maturity, 1–1.5 cm, not edible.
• Phenology: Flowers in spring (April–May).
• Habitat & elevation: Rocky slopes, woodland edges, montane to submontane zones.
• Lebanese distribution: Rare; scattered in upper mountain habitats (Mouterde notes only a few records).
• Syrian distribution: More frequent in the Anti-Lebanon and Damascus region.
• Native range: Southeastern Europe to Western Asia — Albania, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Iran. (POWO)
⚠️ Taxonomic note: Sometimes confused with Prunus microcarpa and P. tortuosa; distinguished by its larger size, elliptic leaves with silvery underside, and solitary or paired flowers.