1 40 AMYGDALACEAE 



or arise from scaly, lateral buds. There are 5 sepals, 5 petals, 

 and 15 to 30 stamens with distinct, filiform filaments. The 

 drupe has a fleshy covering, is often white with bloom, and 

 contains within its pulp a bony, smooth stone \yhich incloses the 

 seed. 



Key to the Shrubby Species 



Flowers produced in umbel-like clusters, appearing before or 



with the leaves on branchlets produced the preceding year. 



Leaves mostly lanceolate and folded together; calyx lobes 



cihate; fruit red when ripe P. angustifolia, p. 140 



Leaves mostly oblanceolate and flat; calyx lobes not ciliate ; 



fruit black when ripe P. pumila, p. 142 



Flowers produced in racemes, appearing after the leaves on 



branchlets of the present year P. virginiana, p. 143 



PRUNUS ANGUSTIFOLIA Marshall 

 Chickasaw Plum 



The Chickasaw Plum, fig. 33, is an erect, bushy shrub often 

 12 or more feet high, with stems as much as 2l/^ inches in di- 

 ameter. The branches are many, usually crooked or zigzag, 

 and some of the shorter ones tend to become thornlike. The 

 branchlets are slender, glabrous and reddish, and bear lanceo- 

 late to oblong-lanceolate leaves, some or all of which have the 

 upper surface folded together. These leaves are 1 to 2|/^ inches 

 long by 14 to ^ inch wide, acute at the apex, and narrowed 

 or rounded at the base. The margins are finely and minutely 

 glandular-serrate, and the blade is glossy and smooth above, 

 but paler and smooth beneath or pubescent beneath along the 

 midrib. The petioles, which are variable in length but short, 

 are pubescent above and generally bear 2 glands near the base 

 of the leaf blade. 



The flowers, which appear before or with the leaves in May, 

 stand in umbels of 2 to 4 on smooth pedicels ]4> to \^ inch long. 

 They are white and a little less than 14 inch wide. The calyx 

 lobes are oblong, obtuse, and entire but ciliate on the margins. 

 The petals are obovate. The fruit, which ripens the latter part 

 of June or early in July, is bright red, not covered by bloom, is 

 globose, and about 14 inch in diameter. Its pulp clings to the 

 stone, which is round, and roughened on the surface. 



Distribution, — The Chickasaw Plum is a shrub well 

 adapted to poor soil, especially clay and sand, and grows from. 



