About Prunus minutiflora Engelm. ex A.Gray
Prunus minutiflora, commonly known as the Texas almond, is a shrub native to Texas and northern Mexico. The specific epithet 'minutiflora' translates to 'minute flower', a reference to the species' very small flowers, whose petals measure only 2 millimetres (1⁄16 inch) long. In addition to its small blooms, this shrub produces dark brown-black to pinkish-red fruits that reach roughly 1.3 centimetres (1⁄2 inch) in diameter. It grows as a thicket-forming shrub reaching a maximum height of 0.91 metres (3 feet). Like a small number of other Prunus species, it is dioecious, meaning it produces male and female flowers on separate individual plants. It grows primarily in limestone soils. The seeds of Prunus minutiflora are eaten by the larvae of the weevil Coccotorus pruniphilus, and its leaves are thought to serve as a host for the larvae of the moth Ursia furtiva.
