Prunus rufa


Prunus rufa, called Himalayan cherry, is a species of cherry native to Nepal and Burma. It is used as an ornamental elsewhere for its striking shiny brown bark. It has been found growing at above sea level in the Himalayas.

Description

Prunus rufa is a small deciduous tree reaching a height of. Its calyx tubes are long and its leaf blades are 2.8–5cm long. The smooth bark is a shiny brown, with prominent horizontal lenticels, similar to the coppery-red bark of the Tibetan cherry, Prunus serrula and similar to but lighter than the mahogany-brown bark of P. himalaica. Its phenotype suggests close affinity with four other Himalayan species of Prunus; P. topkegolensis, P. harae, P. taplejungnica and P. singalilaensis. Some sources consider P. ferruginea to be a synonym.