Punica granatum L.   Punicaceae (Pomegranate Family)     Southern Asia    Pomegranate

                                        October Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Deciduous shrub or tree to 20 ft; leaves short-petioled, oblong or oval-lanceolate, 1-2 in. or more long, obtuse, glabrous and shining; fls. orange-red 1-1 ½ in. across; fruit about the size of an orange, bearing the persistent sepals, brownish-yellow to red, upper and lower portions divided by a diaphragm and these separated into several cells, the numerous seeds surrounded by crimson or pink acid pulp.

Habitat:  Southern Asia but naturalized in the Mediterranean region, South America and Southern U.S.  Also grown in the North as a greenhouse subject. (Bailey 721).

Name:  Pu-nica, Malum punica, “apple of Carthage,” an early name for pomegranate.  Granatum, old substantive name.  (Bailey 721), meaning grainy, referring to the juicy grain-like seeds. (John Johnson). Latin, pome, fruit or apple.  Latin, granate from granum, grain. Pomegranate, a grainy or seedy apple. (John Johnson).

General:  Rare in the study area with only one plant known and this a small 5 ft. tree located northerly of the fresh water pond in lower Big Canyon. (my comment).          There are many named varieties, the double flowered forms being the most commonly grown.  Variety nana, is a dwarf sort planted in greenhouses.  (Bailey 721).         All varieties tolerate great heat and will live and grow well in alkaline soil that would kill most plants. (Sunset Editors, New Western Garden Book 1984, 435).

Text Ref:  Bailey 721.

Photo Ref: Oct 02-Mar 03 # 1,2; Mar 03 # 17,18.

Identity: by R. De Ruff.

First Found:  October 2002.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 543.

No plant specimen.

Last edit  10/14/04.

                          March Photo                                                         March Photo