Shrub or small tree 3–5 m, similar to P. emarginata. Twigs reddish, glabrous. Leaf blades lanceolate to elliptic, short-acuminate, 2–6 cm long, glabrous. Inflorescence a hemispheric, 4- to 6-flowered corymb appearing with the leaves. Flowers: hypanthium obconic, 2–3 mm long, glabrous; sepals ovate, reflexed, 2–3 mm long; petals 5–7 mm long, sometimes hairy at the base. Drupe a red cherry, 4–7 mm long (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
POLLINATORS The following animal species have been reported as pollinators of this plant species or its genus where their geographic ranges overlap:
Bombus vagans,
Bombus bifarius,
Bombus huntii,
Bombus mixtus,
Bombus ternarius,
Bombus terricola,
Bombus occidentalis,
Bombus pensylvanicus,
Bombus bimaculatus,
Bombus griseocollis, and
Bombus impatiens (Macior 1968, Heinrich 1976, Thorp et al. 1983, Colla and Dumesh 2010, Williams et al. 2014).