141/150: Oh, Oh, Oh, Sweet Serviceberry of Mine!

Plantae: Magnoliophyta: Magnoliopsida: Rosales: Rosaceae: Amelanchier: Amelanchier alnifolia (Thomas Nuttall)

The Amelanchier alnifolia or commonly known as the Saskatoon serviceberry is found widely across the Americas. Its name is derived from the Cree word “misaskwatomina” meaning “fruit of the tree with many branches”. This hardy plant requires little attention with plenty of sunlight and mulch, similar to your old pet rock that you forgot about. In autumn, the colours of the leaves turn a radiant reddish-purple and yellowish-gold. Additionally, the Saskatoon serviceberry is a food of the past! Travelers and early settlers ate its berries as a sweet alternative to their everyday meals. Humans are not the only ones to value its gifts, some pest species such as aphids and thrips feed on the serviceberry as well. This species is represented with 18 records on BOLD. #Biodiversity150 #Canada150

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID: BBYUK1576-12

nucleotide sequence

AGTGTTGGATTCAAAGCTGGTGTTAAAGATTATAAATTGACTTATTATACTCCTGACTATGAAACCAAAGATACTGATATTTTGGCAGCATTTCGAGTAACTCCTCAACCTGGAGTTCCACCTGAGGAAGCAGGGGCCGCGGTAGCTGCTGAATCTTCTACTGGTACATGGACAACTGTATGGACTGACGGTCTTACCAGTCTTGATCGTTACAAAGGTCGATGCTACCACATCGAGCCTGTTGCTGGAGAAGAAAGTCAATTTATTGCTTATGTAGCTTACCCCTTAGACCTTTTTGAAGAAGGTTCTGTTACTAACATGTTTACTTCCATTGTAGGTAATGTGTTTGGGTTCAAGGCCCTGCGCGCTCTACGTCTGGAGGATTTGCGAATCCCTCCTGCTTATGTTAAAACTTTCCAGGGCCCGCCTCATGGTATCCAAGTTGAGAGAGATAAATTGAACAAGTATGGCCGCCCTCTATTGGGATGTACTATAAAACCAAAATTGGGGTTATCCGCTAAGAATTACGGTAGAGCAGTTTATGAATGTCTA-

amino acid sequence

SVGFKAGVKDYKLTYYTPDYETKDTDILAAFRVTPQPGVPPEEAGAAVAAESSTGTWTTVWTDGLTSLDRYKGRCYHIEPVAGEESQFIAYVAYPLDLFEEGSVTNMFTSIVGNVFGFKALRALRLEDLRIPPAYVKTFQGPPHGIQVERDKLNKYGRPLLGCTIKPKLGLSAKNYGRAVYECL-