Rose Family

Rubus

Identification Notes: All of our species have biennial stems. The first year the stems remain sterile and are termed primocanes. The second year, these stems produce lateral branches with flowers and are termed floricanes. Primocane and floricane leaves differ.

1 Fruit separating from receptacle, the receptacle remaining on the pedicel; stems either strongly white-glaucous, or densely beset with
  slender-based prickles and bristles, or densely pubescent with 3-5mm long glandular hairs.
  2 Inflorescence paniculiform, many-flowered; berries sticky, purplish-red, lacking a glaucous bloom .............................. Wine Raspberry
  2 Inflorescence corymbiform, few-flowered; berries not sticky, black or red (rarely purplish or yellow), with a glaucous bloom.
   3 Fruit black (rarely yellow); pedicels with stout curved prickles; stems (at least primocanes) strongly white-glaucous ..Black Raspberry
   3 Fruit red (rarely purple or yellow); pedicels with narrow straight bristles and sometimes also glandular hairs; stems green ...........
     ...................................................................................................................................................................................... Common Raspberry
1 Fruit retaining receptacle; stems or leaves not as an 1 above, except if beset with slender-based prickles and bristles then also <1m tall.
  4 Canes very coarse, scrambling, often 2-3m long, heavily armed; inflorescence cymose-paniculate; branches and pedicels of the floricanes
   armed with strong, flattened prickles; [alien, generally in disturbed habitats].
   5 Leaves compound, the leaflets additionally laciniately divided; leaves green beneath ......................................... Cut-leaved Blackberry
   5 Leaves compound, the leaflets toothed; leaves grayish-tomentose beneath ........................................................ Himalayan Blackberry
  4 Canes delicate to coarse, arching or trailing, 0-4m long, unarmed to strongly armed; inflorescence racemiform; branches and pedicels of
   the floricanes generally unarmed; [native, though often in disturbed habitats].
   6 Primocanes prostrate, creeping, or low-arching, rooting at the tip or also at the nodes.
     7 Stems armed with stout-based, usually recurved prickles, bristles lacking .......................................................... Northern Dewberry
     7 Stems primarily armed with narrow-based prickles or even narrower bristles, with or without stout-based prickles as well .............
       ....................................................................................................................................................................................... Bristly Dewberry
   6 Primocanes erect, ascending, or high-arching, not rooting.
     8 Canes armed primarily with bristles or slender-based prickles ............................................................................... Bristly Blackberry
     8 Canes armed with heavy, stout-based, often recurved, prickles (or with broad-based prickles, but few or almost absent).
       9 Leaflets oblanceolate to obovate, definitely wider beyond middle, generally obtuse or rounded at tip; leaves densely white- or
         gray-tomentose beneath ........................................................................................................................................... Sand Blackberry
       9 Leaflets lanceolate to ovate, widest below or near middle, generally acute or acuminate at tip; leaves hairless to pubescent beneath,
         but pubescence not notably tight and white or gray.
         10 Pubescence of inflorescence rachis and pedicels predominantly gland-tipped, glandular hairs often present also on young
           primocanes and branches of floricanes, the glands flattened to cupulate ................................................... Allegheny Blackberry
         10 Pubescence of inflorescence rachis and pedicels nonglandular or glandular, glandular hairs absent elsewhere, glands rounded.
           11 Leaves glabrous (or very nearly so) beneath; canes with at most few and weak prickles; leaflets of primocanes with attenuate
             to caudate tips ............................................................................................................................................... Smooth Blackberry
           11 Leaves softly pubescent beneath; canes with many and strong prickles; leaflets of primocanes with acute to acuminate tips
             ............................................................................................................................................................. Pennsylvania Blackberry

Prunus

1 Flowers in elongate racemes of (12-)20-many flowers ............................................................................................................................... Key A
1 Flowers solitary, in fascicles, in umbellate or corymbose inflorescences, or in short racemes of 1-12 flowers.
  2 Flowers and fruit pedicellate, the pedicel > 4mm long; fruit glabrous, ovary glabrous or pubescent initially.
   3 Stones globose, not 2-edged; sepals hairy or not; inflorescences subtended by leafy bracts arising from same bud as flowers (except
    Sand Cherry); cherries ............................................................................................................................................................................. Key B
   3 Stones somewhat to strongly flattened, 2-edged; sepals hairy on the upper surface (except European Plum and Bullace); inflorescences
    without leafy bracts arising from the same bud as the flower; plums .................................................................................................... Key C
  2 Flowers and fruit sessile or on a pedicel < 2mm long.............................................................................................................................. Peach

Key A – BLACK CHERRIES

1 Leaf teeth triangular, pointing outwards; leaves dull above; sepals conspicuously glandular-eroded on margin, not persistent on fruit;
  colonial, thicket-forming shrub from rhizomes ....................................................................................................................... Virginia Cherry
1 Leaf teeth curved, appressed; leaves shiny above; sepals entire or slightly glandular-eroded on margin, persistent on fruit; small to large
  tree, not clonal ............................................................................................................................................................................... Black Cherry

Key B – CHERRIES

1 Plants shrubs, to 1.5(-3)m tall ....................................................................................................................................................... Sand Cherry
1 Plants trees, well over 3m tall when mature.
  2 Leaf serrations single to double, tips of serrations acuminate to attenuate................................................. Japanese Flowering Cherry
  2 Leaf serrations small and obscure or well-developed but rounded to acute.
   3 Petals 4-7.5mm long; fruit < 1cm in diameter ................................................................................................................... St Lucie Cherry
   3 Petals 9-15 mm long; fruit 1.3-2.5cm in diameter.
     4 Leaves 7-15cm long, persistently hairy beneath, at least along midrib and veins; pair of glands on petiole near blade; fruit sweet
       when ripe ......................................................................................................................................................... European Wild Cherry
     4 Leaves 4-8cm long, glabrous beneath once fully-expanded; pair of glands on base of leaf blade; fruit sour when ripe ...Sour Cherry

Key C – PLUMS

1 Flowers 1-2(-3) per inflorescence; stone somewhat sculptured [non-native].
  2 Leaves 4-6cm long; fruits 2-3cm long, yellow to red when ripe; inflorescence of a solitary flower .............................. Myrobalan Cherry
  2 Leaves 5-10cm long; fruits 3-7 cm long, blue-black, yellow, or greenish when ripe; inflorescence of (1-)2-3 flowers.
   3 Fruit 5-7cm long; single-trunked small to medium tree, usually thornless ...................................................................... European Plum
   3 Fruit 3-4cm long; thicket-forming shrub to small tree, often thorny ............................................................................................... Bullace
1 Flowers (3-)4-5 per inflorescence; stone nearly smooth; [native].
  4 Leaf teeth gland-tipped (or with a scar where gland has fallen); sepals with marginal glands (except Chickasaw Plum); fruit yellow to
   red when ripe.
   5 Leaves 3-6cm long, often folded longitudinally; sepals lacking marginal glands ............................................................ Chickasaw Plum
   5 Leaves 5-13cm long, not folded; sepals with marginal glands .................................................................................................. Goose Plum
  4 Leaf teeth glandless; sepals without marginal glands; fruit yellow, red, purple-red, purple, or black when ripe.
   6 Petals 10-15mm long; leaves 6-10cm long, acuminate; fruit 2-2.5 cm long, red or yellow ............................................... American Plum
   6 Petals 4-9mm long; leaves 4-8cm long, obtuse, acute, or slightly acuminate; fruit 1.0-1.5cm long, dark purple (rarely yellow or red)
     .................................................................................................................................................................................................... Beach Plum

Amelanchier

1 Ovary summit densely woolly; expanding leaves densely tomentose below ................................................................... Running Juneberry
1 Ovary summit smooth or sparsely downy; expanding leaves smooth to densely hairy below.
  2 Plants rhizomatous, shrubs 0.2-2.5m tall; petals 2.6-7.7mm long ................................................................................. Coastal Juneberry
  2 Plants not rhizomatous, shrubs to 8m tall or trees to 20m tall; petals (6-)8-20mm long.
   3 Inflorescences erect; petals 6-12mm ................................................................................................................ Oblong-leaved Juneberry
   3 Inflorescences drooping; petals 10-20mm long.
    4 Young leaves at flowering time folded, green or brownish, and densely tomentose below; proximal flowering pedicels 0.8-1.7cm long;
     fruits maroon-purple, insipid .........................................................................................................................................Downy Juneberry
    4 Young leaves at flowering time unfolding, reddish, and glabrous (or nearly so) below; proximal flowering pedicels 1.5-3 cm long;
     fruits blackish purple, sweet ........................................................................................................................................ Smooth Juneberry

Malus

1 Twigs thorny; leaves folded in bud; leaves often lobed; [native].
  2 Leaves elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, 2.5-8cm long, 1-4 cm wide, mostly > 2× as long as wide, subacute to obtuse at tip .........................
   ......................................................................................................................................................................................Southern Crab Apple
  2 Leaves ovate to ovate lanceolate, 4-10cm long, 2-7cm wide, mostly < 2× as long as wide, acute to acuminate at tip
   ........................................................................................................................................................................................... Sweet Crab Apple
1 Twigs not thorny; leaves involute or convolute in bud; leaves unlobed; [cultivated and persistent or escaping].
  3 Leaves densely pubescent in bud, permanently pubescent beneath; fruits large, > 5cm in diameter ............................ Cultivated Apple
  3 Leaves glabrous or nearly so; fruits small, < 3cm in diameter .................................................................................. Siberian Crab Apple