Prunus tenella
Dwarf almond (Prunus tenella )
The dwarf almond (Prunus tenella ) or shrub - almond is a species of the genus Prunus.
Feature
The dwarf almond is reached an offshoot forming, upright shrub, the plant height to 1.5 meters. The main shoots branch out several times and there are numerous short shoots available. First, the bark of the branches is white or reddish brown and with time gray or gray-brown. She is always bare. There is a terminal bud on long shoots. At least at strong Langtrieben the side buds are usually in threes in the leaf axils. The scales of the winter buds are brown and ciliated at the edge.
The leaves are 3-7 inches long, 1-3 cm wide, lanceolate or oblong- lanceolate, pointed, serrated wedge-shaped and sharp at the edge of the base. You are bald, pale green, indistinct petiolate and folded in bud position. On the underside of leaves nerves emerge only dimly.
The flowers are borne singly or in usually arranged in pairs to third and will appear along with the leaves. You are surrounded by brown bud scales and stalked indistinct. Their diameter is 1 to 2 inches. The flower cup is 5-8 mm long and 2-3 mm wide. He is at least twice as long as wide, Roehrig and bare. The sepals are 3-4 mm long, oblong- ovate, glabrous and finely serrated cartilaginous at its edge. The petals are 10-15 mm long, 4-8 mm wide, oblong to obovate, cuneate at the base, margin entire and strongly colored pink in general. The 20 to 30 stamens are 4-8 millimeters long. The anthers are colored reddish.
The fruit has a diameter of 12 to 22 mm and is nearly spherical, gray-yellow and densely villous - tomentose. It has a longitudinal groove. The flesh is thin and leathery. The stone core is 8 to 18 millimeters long, flattened, broadly ovate, keeled, and most reticular - wrinkled.
The chromosome number is 2n = 16
The flowering period extends from April to May
Occurrence
The area of the type includes eastern Austria, Moravia, Hungary, Bulgaria, the southeast of the former Yugoslavia, Albania and south-western locality, the steppe areas in the south of Russia and Kazakhstan. In the Caucasus, the Altai and Tarbagatai Mountains and the Tien -Shan, particular isolated mountain forms are found (Prunus georgica, Prunus Prunus ledebouriana and petunnikowii ), which are usually considered as separate species.
In Central Europe, Prunus tenella is only in Austria and Moravia indigenous. In Austria, it occurs only at a few a few places in the southeastern quarter of wine ( Hochleiten, roof ditch at Matzen and the mountain ridge between Ebenthal and still keep), and Burgenland. In Moravia, it can be found at Auspitz, Donawitz, Mikulov, Pausram, Poppitz and in the Palava hills. In Germany they rarely feral from plantations.
The dwarf almond grows on dry meadows, including especially on steppe meadows, and in thickets and bushes residues at the edges of fields and along the edges of vineyards. It is only to be found in the area of the Pannonian flora.
Use
The garden cultivars ' Alba' with white flowers, 'Fire Hill ' with intense red, dense flowers and ' Speciosa ' with dark pink flowers and a stature as low bush are used as ornamental plants.
System
It can be found in the main distribution area of the dwarf almond, the south of Eastern Europe and Asia, various forms, their systematic status has not yet been clarified.
The variety ' Speciosa ' was described as Prunus tenella f gessleriana Rehder.
Etymology
Tenella refers to the Latin tenellus, which is very fine or very tender means and alludes to the growth.