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 3,925 m (12,900 ft) above sea level in the Himalayas.^[1][2]

Prunus rufa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Prunus
Subgenus:	Prunus subg. Cerasus
Species:	P. rufa
Binomial name
Prunus rufa Wall. ex Hook.f.
Synonyms
Prunus ferruginea Wall. Prunus imanishii (Kitam.) Ghora & Panigrahi

Description

Prunus rufa is a small deciduous tree reaching a height of 5–6 metres (15–20 ft). Its calyx tubes are 11–15 millimetres (7⁄16–9⁄16 in) long and its leaf blades are 2.8–5 cm 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.^[3] Some sources consider P. ferruginea to be a synonym.