Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, Beytr. Entw. Gewaschreich 1: 30. 180; Parker, For. Fl. Punj. ed. 1: 204. 1918 (Reprint 1973); Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org; Amygdalus persica L., Sp. Pl. 1: 472. 1753; Persica vulgaris Mill., Gard. Dict. ed. 8. n. 1. 1768.

A large deciduous shrub or small tree, up to 7 m height, with a wide and horizontally branched crown. Bark dark brown; recent twigs with 8-12 leaves; lenticels ca 2 mm x 3-8 mm, horizontal, elliptical, slightly protruding, moderately dense to dense; cataphylls 4-5 mm x 1.5-2.5 mm, +/- deltoid, puberulous (towards apex). Leaves 5-15 cm x 2-4 cm ( nearly 3-4 times longer than wide ), oblong-lanceolate, elliptical-oblong or elliptical, symmetrical, membranous to subcoriaceous, upper surface shining, secondary veins 12-15, upper surface glabrous, undersurface sparsely puberulous mainly with trichomes scattered in the middle vein laterally, young leaves sparsely puberulous; base cuneate, margin serrate, apex acute to shortly acuminate or slightly caudate at tip; foliar glands 0-6, ca. 1 mm in diameter, slightly prominent, marginally arranged on the most basal teeth of lamina; stipules 5-8 mm x 0.5-1 mm, free, lanceolate to subulate, puberulous, margin glandular, persistent only on young branches; petiole 6-12 mm long, deeply sulcate adaxially, puberulous. Flowering branches generally reduced to 1(-2) flower/s located at the base of short lateral branches. Flowers actinomorphic, bisexual, perigynous, pink, usually before, sometimes with the leaves; sessile or shortly pedicellate, pedicel 2-3 mm long, puberulous. Basal bracts 3-3.5 mm x 3-3.5 mm, broadly ovate, cucullated, villous. Hypanthium 5-6 mm x 6-8 mm, campanulate or cupulate, puberulous externally, hairy internally with sericeous trichomes towards base, light red. Sepals 5, spreading 6-7 mm x 5-6 mm, oblong-ovate, margin entire, ciliate, abaxial surface hairy (especially on margins), adaxially glabrous. Petals 5, usually pink, inserted on rim of hypanthium, imbricate, obovate to suborbiculate, shortly clawed, ca. 2-2.2 cm x 1.5-1.7 cm, spreading. Stamens 20-30 (-50), in 2 whorls, inserted at the mouth of hypanthium; filaments free, slightly unequal, 1.4-1.7 cm long, inner small, filiform; anthers 1-1.5 mm long, ovoid, dorsifixed, dehiscence longitudinal. Carpel 1, inserted at the bottom of hypanthium, ovary superior, hairy, 1-locular, ovules 2, collateral; style terminal, villous, ca. 1.4 cm long, hairy in +/- lower half, exserted from hypanthium; stigma capitate. Fruit 1-seeded drupe, with a longitudinal groove, yellow to orange tinged with red, globose to subglobose, 4-8 cm in diameter; mesocarp fleshy; stone ellipsoid, strongly flattened, deeply pitted and furrowed.

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