ROSACEAE 



Black Cherry 



Prunus serotina Ehrh. 



HABIT. A medium-sized tree 40-60 feet high and 1-3 feet 

 in diameter (max. 100 by 5 feet); clear bole and narrow, oblong 

 crown. 



LEAVES. Oval to oblong-lanceolate; acuminate or acute at 

 apex; finely serrate with incurved callous teeth; dark green 

 and lustrous above, paler and with red-brown hairs along base 

 of midrib below; 2-6 inches long; petioles short, usually with 

 2 glands near blade. 



FLOWERS. In many-flowered, loose racemes 4-5 inches long; 

 appearing with the leaves; calyx cup-shaped; petals 5, white, 

 about Yq inch long. 



FRUIT. Globose; in racemes; Vi-Vz inch in diameter; nearly 

 black when ripe; flesh juicy, edible, slightly bitter. 



TWIGS. Slender; round; glabrous; red-brown; bitter and 

 aromatic; short spur shoots common on old growth. Winter 

 buds: terminal 14 inch long, ovoid, scaly, light brown. 



BARK. Thin; smooth and red-brown on young stems; nearly 

 black and exfoliating into distinctive, persistent scales with 

 upturned edges on old trunks. 



WOOD. Moderately important; rather heavy and hard; 

 diff"use-porous ; heartwood red-brown; a prized and valuable 

 furniture wood. 



SILVICAL CHARACTERS. Intermediate in tolerance; 

 typical of rich, moist sites; usually in mixed stands; long tap- 

 root. 



Common Chokegherry 

 Prunus virginiana L. 



This unimportant shrub or small tree is one of the most widely 

 distributed in North America. It closely resembles black cherry, 

 but can be distinguished from it by usually red fruit; leaves with 

 sharply serrate, spreading teeth; and smooth or slightly fissured 

 bark. The western forms are designated as either western choke- 

 cherry, P. virginiana var. demissa (Nutt.) Torr., or black choke- 

 cherry, P. virginiana var. melanocarpa (A. Nels.) Sarg. 



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