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| Prunus ilicifolia (Nutt. ex Hook. & Arn.) Walp. |
Prunus ilicifolia (Hollyleaf Cherry or Evergreen Cherry; Salinan Native American: Islay[1]) is a species in the genus Prunus, native to coastal California and northern Baja California.[2][3]
It is an evergreen shrub or small tree up to 15 m tall, with dense, sclerophyllous foliage. The leaves are 1.6-12 cm long with a 4–25 mm petiole and spiny margins, somewhat resembling those of the holly, hence its English name; they are dark green when mature and generally shiny on top, and have a smell resembling almonds when crushed. The flowers are small (1-5 mm), white, produced on racemes in the spring. The fruit is a cherry 12–25 mm diameter, edible and sweet, but contains little flesh surrounding the smooth seed.[4][5][6]
There are two subspecies:[7][8][9]
- Prunus ilicifolia subsp. ilicifolia. Mainland California and Baja California. Fruit red, 12–18 mm diameter.
- Prunus ilicifolia subsp. lyonii (Eastw.) Raven. Catalina Cherry. Channel Islands of California (San Clemente, Santa Catalina, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Island islands). Fruit blue-black, 15–25 mm diameter.
Habitat and ecology
Prunus ilicifolia is native to California chaparral and foothill woodlands along the Coast Ranges below 1,600 m[4] Its distribution extends from northern Baja California along the California coast to the northernmost extent of the Coast Ranges.[4] In chaparral communities, it tends to inhabit north-facing slopes, erosion channels, or other moist, cool, sites.[3]
It is a persistent member of chaparral communities, being slow-growing but long-lived. In the absence of fire, P. ilicifolia will outlive or outshade surrounding vegetation, making room for seedlings. Eventually, it will form extensive stands co-dominated by scrub oak.[3] Although it will stump-sprout after fires, the seeds are not fire-adapted like those of many other chaparral plants are.[10] Instead, it relies on the natural death of surrounding vegetation during long periods of fire-free conditions to make room for its seedlings.[3]
The seeds will only germinate after an acid treatment, such as that received when they pass through the digestive tract of coyotes or birds which feeds on the fruits. The coyotes are discouraged from eating the seeds themselves by cyanide, which is released from the seeds if they are cracked.[9] Others report that germination levels are high with only suitable moisture and temperature levels.[11] Sufficient light levels are also reported to be necessary for germination.[10]
The caterpillars of the pale swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon) feed on this and other members of the riparian woodland plant community.[9]
References
- ^ Gudde, E. G. (1946). The Solution of the Islay Problem. California Folklore Quarterly 5 (3): 298-299 (Gudde concludes that the word "islay" originated in a Salinan word slay; Islay was the Spanish version of their word).
- ^ Germplasm Resources Information Network: Prunus ilicifolia
- ^ a b c d Fire Effects Information Service, USDA Forest Service: Prunus ilicifolia
- ^ a b c Jepson Flora: Prunus ilicifolia
- ^ Munz, Philip A. 1973. A California flora and supplement. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
- ^ Conrad, C. E. (1987). Common shrubs of chaparral and associated ecosystems of southern California. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-99. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station.
- ^ Jepson Flora: Prunus ilicifolia subsp. ilicifolia
- ^ Jepson Flora: Prunus ilicifolia subsp. lyonii
- ^ a b c Schoenherr, A. A. (1993). A Natural History of California. University of California Press, Berkley.
- ^ a b Keeley, Jon E. 1987. Role of fire in seed germination of woody taxa in California chaparral. Ecology 68(2): 434-443; cited in FEIS
- ^ Mirov, N. T., & Kraebel, C. J. (1937). Collecting and propagating the seeds of California wild plants. Research Note 18: 1-27. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, California Forest and Range Experiment Station.
