Genus i. 



PEACH FAMILY. 



323 



Leaves pubescent, at least on the lower surface, when mature. 

 Drupe 8"-t2" in diameter; coast plants. 



Leaves ovate or oval, acute ; stone pointed at both ends. 

 Leaves orbicular, very obtuse ; stone pointed at base. 

 Drupe 3"-5" in diameter; prairie plant. 

 Umbels only 1-2-riowered. 

 Leaves conduplicate in vernation ; fruit mostly small ; pit mostly globose, 

 Flowers 3"-6" broad ; low shrubs. 



Leaves oblanceolate or spatulate ; northern. 

 Leaves oval, oblong, or slightly obovate. 



Petioles a"-io" long: drupe 4"-5" in diameter; eastern. 

 Petioles 2"-^' long ; fruit 6"-8" in diameter ; western. 

 Flowers 9"-!$" broad ; trees ; leaves ovate. 

 Leaves glabrous ; pedicels short ; fruit sour. 



Leaves pubescent beneath, at least on veins ; pedicels long ; fruit sweet. 

 tt Inflorescence more or less corymbose; leaves shining. 

 * Flowers corymbose, terminating twigs of the season. 1 6. P. Mahaleb. 



I. Prunus americana Alarsh. Wild Yellow or Red Plum. Fig. 2409. 



Primus americana Marsh. Arb. Am, iii. 1785. 



A shrub or small tree, maximum height about 35, 

 and trunk diameter about 12'; branches more or less 

 thorny; bark thick. Leaves ovate or obovate, acumi- 

 nate, nearly or quite glabrous when mature, usually 

 pubescent when young, sharply and often doubly 

 serrate, with gland-tipped teeth, rounded at the base, 

 slender-petioled ; petioles usually glandless; flowers 

 white, 8"-i2" broad, appearing in lateral sessile 

 umbels before the leaves ; pedicels s"-9" long ; calyx- 

 lobes pubescent within, entire ; dnipe globose, red or 

 yellow, 9"-i2" in greatest diameter, the skin tough, 

 bloom little or none, the stone somewhat flattened, 

 its ventral edge acute or margined, the dorsal faintly 

 grooved. 



Connecticut to Montana, Florida, Texas and Colorado. 

 A southwestern race has very pubescent leaves. April- 

 May. Fruit ripe Aug.-Oct. Horse-, hog's- or goose-plum. 

 Native plum. Plum-granite. 



2. Prunus nigra Ait. Canada Plum. Horse Plum. Fig. 2410. 



Prunus nisra Ait. Hort. Kew. 2 : 165. 1789. 



Prunus mollis Torr. Fl. U. S. i : 



470. 1024. 



A tree, 2o-30 high, the trunk sometimes 10' 

 in diameter, the bark thin. Leaves oval, ovate or 

 obovate, long-acuminate, pubescent when young, 

 crenulate-serrate, narrowed, obtuse or subcordate 

 at the base, 3-5' long; petioles stout, *'-:' long, 

 bearing i or 2 red glands near the blade ; flowers in 

 lateral umbels, expanding before the leaves, I'-lY 

 broad; pedicels 6"-io" long, slender, glabrous; calyx- 

 lobes glandular-serrate, glabrous within, sometimes 

 pubescent without; petals white, turning pink; drupe 

 oval. I'-iJ' long, yellow to orange-red, thick-skinned, 

 bloom little or none, the flesh adherent to the oval 

 compressed stone, which is sharply ridged on the 

 ventral edge, somewhat grooved on the dorsal. 



Newfoundland to Alberta. Massachusetts, Georgia and 

 Wisconsin. Wood hard, reddish-brown ; weight per 

 cubic foot 43 lbs. Red or wild plum. Pomegranate. May. 

 Fruit Aug. 



