PRUNUS SEROTINA, EHRH. 127 



Prunus serotina, Ehrh. 

 Rum Cherry. Black Cherry. 



Habitat and Range. In all sorts of soils and exposures; 

 open places and rich woods. 



X< va Scotia to Lake Superior. 



Maine, not reported north of Oldtown (Penobscot county) ; 

 frequent throughout the other New England states. 



South to Florida ; west to Xorth Dakota, Kansas, and Texas, 

 extending through Mexico, along the Pacific coast of Central America 

 to Peru. 



Habit. Usually a medium-sized tree, 30-50 feet in height, 

 with a trunk diameter varying from 8 or 10 inches to 2 feet ; 

 attaining much greater dimensions in the middle and southern 

 states ; branches few, large, often tortuous, subdividing irregu- 

 larly ; head open, widest near the base, rather ungraceful when 

 naked, but very attractive when clothed with bright green, 

 polished foliage, profusely decked with white flowers, or laden 

 with drooping racemes of handsome black fruit. 



Bark. Bark of trunk deep reddish-brown and smooth in 

 young trees, in old trees very rough, separating into close, 

 thick, irregular, blackish scales ; branches dark reddish-brown, 

 marked with small oblong, raised dots. Bitter to the taste. 



Winter Buds and Leaves. Buds ovate, -J inch long, covered 

 with imbricated brown scales. 



Leaves 2-5 inches long, about half as wide, dark green above 

 and glossy when full grown, paler below, turning in autumn 

 to orange, deep red, or pale yellow, firm, smooth on both 

 sides, elliptical, oblong, or lanceolate-oblong ; finely serrate with 

 short, incurved teeth; apex sharp; base acute or roundish; 

 meshes of veins minute ; petioles -J- inch long, with usually 

 two or more glands near the base of the leaf ; stipules glandular- 

 edged, falling as the leaf expands. 



Inflorescence. May to June. From new leafy shoots, in 

 simple, loose racemes, 4-5 inches long; flowers small; calyx 

 with 5 short teeth separated by shallow sinuses, persistent 



