Taxon:  Prunus pumila L. var. besseyi (L. H. Bailey) Waugh



Summary
Genus:
Prunus
Subgenus:
Prunus
Section:
Penarmeniaca
Family:
Rosaceae
Subfamily:
Amygdaloideae
Tribe:
Amygdaleae
Nomen number:
411363
Place of publication:
Rep. (Annual) Vermont Agric. Exp. Sta. 12:239.  1899
Verified:
03/23/2011 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
19 (2  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Prunus pumila L. (0 active accession[s])
Prunus pumila L. var. depressa (Pursh) Bean (1 active accession[s])
Prunus pumila L. var. pumila (0 active accession[s])
Prunus pumila L. var. susquehanae (hort. ex Willd.) H. Jaeger (1 active accession[s])
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Basionym
Prunus besseyi L. H. Bailey

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)
Fruit

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  2. Bortiri, E. et al. 2001. Phylogeny and systematics of Prunus (Rosaceae) as determined by sequence analysis of ITS and the chloroplast trnL-trnF spacer DNA. Syst. Bot. Note: as Prunus besseyi
  3. Catling, P. M. et al. 1999. Rank and typification in North American dwarf cherries, and a key to the taxa. Taxon 48:483-488.
  4. Chin, S.-W. et al. 2014. Diversification of almonds, peaches, plums and cherries - Molecular systematics and biogeographic history of Prunus (Rosaceae). Molec. Phylogenet. Evol. 76:34-48. Note: as Prunus besseyi
  5. Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage Note: = Prunus pumila
  6. Facciola, S. 1990. Cornucopia, a source book of edible plants Kampong Publications. Note: = Prunus besseyi L. H. Bailey
  7. Gilbert, L. 1998. pers. comm. Note: re. English common names
  8. Hancock, J. F. et al. 2008. Chapter 9. Peaches. In: Hancock, J. F., ed., Temperate fruit crop breeding: germplasm to genomics 265-298. Note: as Prunus besseyi
  9. Hartmann, W. & M. Neumüller. 2009. Plum breeding. In: Jain, S. M. & P.M. Priyadarshan, eds., Breeding plantation tree crops: temperate species 161-231. Note: cites both Prunus pumila and P. besseyi
  10. Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening Note: = Prunus besseyi L. H. Bailey
  11. Kartesz, J. T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland.
  12. McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
  13. Mehlenbacher, S. A. et al. 1991. Apricots (Prunus). Acta Hort. 290:65-110. Note: = Prunus besseyi
  14. Mowrey, B. D. & D. J. Werner. 1990. Phylogenetic relationships among species of Prunus as inferred by isozyme markers. Theor. Appl. Genet. 80:129-133. Note: = Prunus besseyi, member of subgenus Lithocerasus section Microcerasus
  15. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  16. Rohrer, J. R. 2011. Prunus (Rosaceae). In: FNA Editorial Committee, Flora of North America. 9:374.
  17. Rubio, M. et al. 2005. Evaluation of resistance to sharka (plum pox virus) of several Prunus rootstocks. Pl. Breed. (New York) 124:67-70. Note: as Prunus besseyi
  18. Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
  19. Voss, E. 1972-. Michigan flora. Note: mentions
  20. Wetter, M. A. et al. WISFLORA: Wisconsin vascular plant species (on-line resource).
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
EnglishBessey cherry  1Gilbert, L. 1998. pers. comm. Note: re. English common names
Englishdwarf cherry  1McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
EnglishRocky Mountain cherry  1Facciola, S. 1990. Cornucopia, a source book of edible plants Kampong Publications. Note: = Prunus besseyi L. H. Bailey
Englishsand cherry  1McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
Englishwestern sand cherry  1Facciola, S. 1990. Cornucopia, a source book of edible plants Kampong Publications. Note: = Prunus besseyi L. H. Bailey
GermanSandkirsche as Prunus pumila2Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage Note: = Prunus pumila
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeNorthern AmericaEastern CanadaCanadaOntario Rohrer, J. R. 2011. Prunus (Rosaceae). In: FNA Editorial Committee, Flora of North America. 9:374.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesIllinois Rohrer, J. R. 2011. Prunus (Rosaceae). In: FNA Editorial Committee, Flora of North America. 9:374.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesIowa McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesKansasn.-c.McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesMinnesota McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesNebraska McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesNorth Dakota McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesSouth Dakota McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1977. Atlas of the Flora of the Great Plains.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorth-Central U.S.A.United StatesWisconsin Wetter, M. A. et al. WISFLORA: Wisconsin vascular plant species (on-line resource).
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesIndiana Rohrer, J. R. 2011. Prunus (Rosaceae). In: FNA Editorial Committee, Flora of North America. 9:374.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNortheastern U.S.A.United StatesOhio Rohrer, J. R. 2011. Prunus (Rosaceae). In: FNA Editorial Committee, Flora of North America. 9:374.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorthwestern U.S.A.United StatesColoradon.e.Harrington, H. 1954. Manual of the plants of Colorado.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorthwestern U.S.A.United StatesMontana McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1NativeNorthern AmericaNorthwestern U.S.A.United StatesWyoming McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1NativeNorthern AmericaSouthwestern U.S.A.United StatesUtah Rohrer, J. R. 2011. Prunus (Rosaceae). In: FNA Editorial Committee, Flora of North America. 9:374.
1NativeNorthern AmericaWestern CanadaCanadaManitobas.Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
1NativeNorthern AmericaWestern CanadaCanadaSaskatchewans.Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
Native
Northern America
  • EASTERN CANADA: Canada [Ontario]
  • WESTERN CANADA: Canada [Saskatchewan (s.), Manitoba (s.)]
  • NORTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Indiana, Ohio]
  • NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Iowa, Kansas (n.-c.), Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois, Wisconsin]
  • NORTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Colorado (n.e.), Montana, Wyoming]
  • SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Utah]

Reference(s)
  1. Harrington, H. 1954. Manual of the plants of Colorado.
  2. McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1977. Atlas of the Flora of the Great Plains.
  3. McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
  4. Rohrer, J. R. 2011. Prunus (Rosaceae). In: FNA Editorial Committee, Flora of North America. 9:374.
  5. Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
  6. Wetter, M. A. et al. WISFLORA: Wisconsin vascular plant species (on-line resource).
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalrevegetatorfor land reclamation, as Prunus besseyiGilbert, L. 1998. pers. comm. Note: re. English common names
Human foodfruit Facciola, S. 1990. Cornucopia, a source book of edible plants Kampong Publications. Note: = Prunus besseyi L. H. Bailey
Human foodfruit Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening Note: = Prunus besseyi L. H. Bailey
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=411363. Accessed 8 May 2026.