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Nomenclature etc. ROSACEAE. Trade and local names: Prunus avium: Kirsche, Süßkirsche, Vogelkirsche (DE), kersen (NL), cherry, gean, mazzard (GB), merisier (FR), ciliegio montano (IT), cerezo silvestre (ES), yabani fisne (TR), aaluh kak (IR), mad rcsereszyne (HU). Prunus serotina: black cherry (US); capulín (MX); cerisier tardif (FR); merisier (CA); cerezo americano (ES); Amerikanischer Kitschbaum (DE). Not protected under CITES regulations.
Tree. Geographic distribution: Europe, excl. Mediterranean (Prunus avium: cultivated worldwide in temperate climate zones), North America (P. serotina).
General. Growth ring boundaries distinct. Heartwood basically brown to red to yellow. Sapwood colour distinct from heartwood colour. Density 0.49–0.67 g/cm³.
Vessels. Vessels present. Wood semi ring porous. Vessels arranged in no specific pattern, in multiples, commonly in short (2–3 vessels) radial rows or in radial rows of 4 or more. Average tangential vessel diameter 30–50–70 µm (earlywood vessels). Average number of vessels/mm² 65–90–105. Perforation plates simple. Intervessel pits alternate, average diameter (vertical) 5–7 µm. Vessel-ray pits with distinct borders, similar to intervessel pits (but somewhat smaller). Helical thickenings present, in narrow and wide vessel elements, throughout the body of vessel elements.
Tracheids and fibres. Vascular or vasicentric tracheids commonly present. Fibres of medium wall thickness. Average fibre length 800–1100–1300 µm. Fibre pits mainly restricted to radial walls, distinctly bordered. Helical thickenings present.
Axial parenchyma. Axial parenchyma absent or extremely rare. Apotracheal axial parenchyma diffuse (only in earlywood). Paratracheal axial parenchyma scanty. Axial parenchyma as strands. Average number of cells per strand: 3–5.
Rays. Rays multiseriate, 2–4(–8) cells wide. Height of large rays commonly 500 to 1000 µm. Rays composed of a single cell type (homocellular), or two or more cell types (heterocellular); homocellular ray cells procumbent. Heterocellular rays with square and upright cells restricted to marginal rows, mostly 1 marginal row of upright or square cells.
Mineral inclusions. Crystals not observed. Silica not observed.
Physical and chemical tests. Heartwood not fluorescent. Water extract not fluorescent; colour of water extract colourless to brown. Ethanol extract fluorescent (weakly yellowish). Colour of ethanol extract colourless to brown. Froth test positive. Splinter burns to partial ash. Ash white to grey.
Illustrations. • Makroscopic images. Prunus avium. transverse (ca. 10x). radial (natural size). • Transverse section. Prunus avium. • Tangential section. Prunus avium. • Radial section. Prunus avium. • Transverse section. Prunus serotina. • Tangential section. Prunus serotina. • Radial section. Prunus serotina. • Spiral thickenings in vessels. Prunus serotina.
The interactive key allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting specified attributes, summaries of attributes within groups of taxa, and geographical distribution.
Cite this publication as: ‘Richter, H.G., and Dallwitz, M.J. 2000 onwards. Commercial timbers: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. In English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Version: 9th April 2019. delta-intkey.com’.
