Peraphyllum is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the rose family, containing the single species Peraphyllum ramosissimum, commonly known as the squaw apple or wild crab apple.
| Peraphyllum Peraphyllum ramosissimum | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Subfamily: | Amygdaloideae |
| Tribe: | Maleae |
| Subtribe: | Malinae |
| Genus: | Peraphyllum Nutt. |
| Species: | P. ramosissimum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Peraphyllum ramosissimum Nutt.
| |
Translated from the Greek, the genus Peraphyllum means "very leafy" and the species name ramosissimum means "many branches". Peraphyllum is most closely related to Amelanchier, Malacomeles, Crataegus, and Mespilus.[1]
Distribution
editPeraphyllum ramosissimum grows in California, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico usually in pine and juniper woodlands. In California it can be found in the High Cascades, High Sierra Nevada, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert sky islands.
Description
editPeraphyllum ramosissimum is a shrub which may reach 3 metres (9.8 ft) in height and bears small pomes about 1 centimetre (0.39 in) wide. The leaves are simple; they can grow very close together on short shoots but are well separated on longer shoots.[2]
Like most other flowering plants of the Rosaceae, Peraphyllum ramosissimum has 5 petals and 5 sepals with radial symmetry. The flowers have about 15-20 free stamens, the petals are white to rose in color.
References
edit- ^ Campbell, C.S.; Evans, R.C.; Morgan, D.R.; Dickinson, T.A.; Arsenault, M.P. (2007). Phylogeny of subtribe Pyrinae (formerly the Maloideae, Rosaceae): Limited resolution of a complex evolutionary history. Plant Systematics and Evolution. 266(1–2): 119–145.
- ^ Janene Auger and Justin G. Smith, Peraphyllum ramosissimum Nutt., squaw-apple in Woody Plant Seed Manual Interim Web Site Archived 2009-02-19 at the Wayback Machine