Himalayan bird cherry

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Himalayan Bird-Cherry
• Himalayan bird cherry
• jamana
• tsrain
• zamber

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Padus cornuta
• Padus cornuta var. villosa
• Prunus glauciphylla
• Cerasus cornuta
• Prunus cornuta var. integrifolia
• Prunus cornuta var. villosa
• Prunus cornuta f. villosa
• Padus cornuta var. glabra
• Prunus padus var. cornuta
• Prunus padus var. cornuta
• Prunus pachyclada
• Prunus racemosa var. glaucescens
• Prunus wattii

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is organized under the order Rosales and the family Rosaceae. Finally, it is identified by its specific genus, Prunus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide geographical range spanning several distinct regions across Asia. In Western Asia, its presence has been documented within the borders of Afghanistan. Its distribution extends significantly into China, specifically within the high-altitude regions of Tibet. The Indian Subcontinent also serves as a key habitat, with the species found in Assam and throughout the East Himalaya. Finally, the plant is commonly located within the mountainous terrain of Nepal.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Prunus cornuta is characterized by its distribution across significant altitudinal gradients within montane ecosystems. This species is primarily found in high-altitude environments, occupying a broad elevational range that extends from a minimum of 1500 m AMSL to a maximum of 3500 m AMSL. Within this vertical distribution, the plant reaches its ecological optimum at a mean elevation of approximately 3000 m AMSL, suggesting a preference for the cool, specialized conditions typical of subalpine or high-montane zones. This wide altitudinal span indicates an ability to adapt to varying levels of atmospheric pressure, temperature fluctuations, and UV exposure characteristic of varying mountain elevations.

Elevational range max:

3500 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

3000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

1500 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Prunus cornuta is characterized by its nature as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons and establish a long-term presence in its habitat. As a deciduous species, it undergoes a distinct seasonal cycle where it sheds its foliage annually, typically in response to decreasing temperatures or changes in photoperiod, entering a period of dormancy before regenerating new leaves in the spring.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Prunus cornuta is characterized by a woody growth form, primarily manifesting as a tree. It exhibits a substantial vertical stature, with heights ranging from a minimum of 3 meters to a maximum of 15 meters, maintaining an average height of approximately 9 meters. Although it can exhibit characteristics of a liana, vine, or self-supporting climber, its structural nature is predominantly self-supporting. As an independent organism, it does not function as a parasite, and it is classified as a terrestrial plant rather than an epiphyte.

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

15 m

Plant height mean:

9 m

Plant height min:

3 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Prunus cornuta is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, a metabolic strategy that allows the plant to fix carbon dioxide through the Calvin cycle under typical environmental conditions. The morphological dimensions of its foliage play a critical role in its gas exchange and light interception capabilities, with leaf lengths typically averaging 8.5 cm, ranging from a minimum of 6 cm to a maximum of 11 cm. Complementing this, the leaf width exhibits significant variation, with a mean measurement of 4 cm, spanning from a minimum of 3 cm to a maximum width of 5 cm. These specific leaf dimensions and the underlying C3 photosynthetic mechanism collectively govern the plant's energy production and water-use efficiency.

Leaf length max:

11 cm

Leaf length mean:

8.5 cm

Leaf length min:

6 cm

Leaf width max:

5 cm

Leaf width mean:

4 cm

Leaf width min:

3 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Prunus cornuta is characterized by a specific flowering cycle and the development of small, uniform fruit. The flowering period typically commences in April, though the seasonal timing can be variable across different environments. During this stage, the plant produces inflorescences that range in length from a minimum of 0.08 m to a maximum of 0.16 m. The individual flowers are relatively small, with lengths measuring between a minimum of 0.6 cm and a maximum of 0.8 cm. Following successful pollination, the plant develops fruits that exhibit remarkable consistency in size; the fruit length is recorded at a constant 0.8 cm (with minimum, mean, and maximum values all being 0.8 cm), and the fruit width is equally uniform, maintaining a consistent measurement of 0.8 cm across its minimum, mean, and maximum dimensions.

Flower length max:

0.8 cm

Flower length min:

0.6 cm

Flowering time :

Apr

Fruit length max:

0.8 cm

Fruit width max:

0.8 cm

Inflorescence length max:

0.16 m

Inflorescence length min:

0.08 m

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Prunus cornuta has 6 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Glycosides, Laccase, Peroxidase, Saponins.

Flavonoids

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Glycosides

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Laccase

1. International journal of medicinal mushrooms

Peroxidase

1. International journal of medicinal mushrooms

Saponins

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Tannins

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Prunus cornuta has 4 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Anticancer.

Antimicrobial

1. Scientific reports
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antioxidant

1. Scientific reports
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Antibacterial

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Anticancer

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Medicinal Uses

Prunus cornuta has 2 reported medicinal uses identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Acinetobacter baumannii, Salmonella enterica.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations