Prunus pullei facts for kids

Prunus pullei is a type of tree that belongs to the Prunus family, which also includes cherries and plums! This special tree grows naturally in the cool, high areas of New Guinea. It's usually a small tree, often around 15 meters (about 49 feet) tall, but it can sometimes reach up to 24 meters (about 79 feet). Its bark is brown, sometimes gray, and feels rough with small bumps. If it grows in very high places, it might look more like a bushy shrub than a tall tree.

What it Looks Like

This tree has some interesting features that help you identify it.

Leaves and Their Shape

The leaves of Prunus pullei are thick and feel a bit like leather. They are usually oval-shaped or a bit longer, measuring about 1.5 to 5 centimeters (0.6 to 2 inches) wide and 2 to 12 centimeters (0.8 to 4.7 inches) long. The ends of the leaves can be pointed or rounded, and sometimes their edges curl slightly inwards.

If you look closely, you'll see 5 to 9 pairs of veins on each leaf. These veins loop and join together near the edge. When the leaves are young, they are quite fuzzy. Even as they grow older, the underside of the leaves often stays hairy. You might also spot two (or sometimes four) small, flat bumps, called glands, near the base of the leaf. There are also tiny, narrow, triangular leaf-like parts called stipules, which are found at the bottom of the leaf stalk.

Flowers and Fruits

The flowers of Prunus pullei are quite small. Each flower has between 15 and 40 stamens, which are the parts that produce pollen. These stamens have smooth stalks up to 7 millimeters (0.3 inches) long. The anthers, which hold the pollen, are very tiny, only about 0.4 to 1 millimeter long.

The part of the flower that will become the fruit, called the ovary, is covered in dense hairs. The style, which is like a stalk leading to the ovary, can also be hairy at its base.

When the fruits are ripe, they turn a shiny purplish-black color. They are usually round or slightly wider than they are tall, measuring about 6 to 11 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) by 7 to 11.5 millimeters (0.3 to 0.5 inches). The outside of the fruit is hairy, while the inside is mostly smooth. At the bottom of the fruit, you'll see a small cup-like structure, which is what's left of the flower's base. This cup is usually 1.5 to 4 millimeters wide. However, on trees that grow at very high altitudes, this cup can be much larger, up to 8 millimeters wide! Inside the fruit, the seeds are smooth.