Order 47 .— ROSACEA. 327 



side toward tho baso ; petiole with 2 glands ; rac. lax, short, spreadiug ; petals 

 orbicular. — A small tree or shrub, 5 to 20f high, in woods and hedges. Bark 

 grayish. Lvs. 2 to 3' long, 1 to 2' wide, with a short, abrupt acumination. Fls. 

 appearing in May. Fruit (cherries) abundant, of a dark-red color, very astringent 

 to the taste, yet on the whole agreeable. 



4 C. puinila Mx. Sand Cherry. Lvs. oblanceolaie or obovate, acute, subserrate, 

 smooth, paler beneath; umbels few-flowered, sessile, drupe ovoid. A small trail- 

 ing shrub, in gravelly soils. Can. and U. S. Branches ascending, 1 to 2f high. 

 Lvs. 2 to 3' long, £ as wide, very acute at each end. Fls. white, 3, 4 or 5 in 

 each umbel, the pedicels smooth, 1' in length. Fruit small, dark red, acid but 

 agreeable to the taste. May. (Prunus depressa Ph.) 



5 C. Peniisylvanica Ait. Wild Red Cherry. Lvs. oblong-ovate, acuminate, 

 finely serrate, membranous, smooth; umbels corymbous, with elongated pedicels; 

 drupe small, ovoid-subglobous. — A small tree, common in woods and thickets in 

 the Northern States. The trunk rarely exceeds 25f in height, with a diam. of 6 

 to 8'. Bark smooth, reddish brown. Lvs. 2 to 5' long, ^ as wide, the fine teeth 

 mostly glandular, apex tapering to a long acumination. Fls. white, on long (2V) 

 Blender pedicels collected into a sort of umbel. Fruit red, very acid. — This tree 

 is of rapid growth, and quickly succeeds a forest clearing, if neglected. May. 

 (Prunus borealis Ph.) 



6 C. A'vium Mcench. Duke Cherry. Ox-heart. English Cherry. 

 Bigareau, &c. Branches erect or ascending ; lvs. oblong-obovate, acuminate, hairy 

 beneath ; umbels sessile, with rather long pedicels ; drupe ovoid globous, subcor- 

 date at base. — Cultivated in gardens, fields, &c, common. Trunk 20 to 50f in 

 height, with an oblong or pyramidal head. Lvs. 3 to 6' long, £ as wide, on peti- 

 oles 1 to 2' long, often with 2 glands. Fls. expanding with the leaves, white. 

 Drupes various shades of red, firm but juicy. May. — About 75 varieties are pub- 

 lished in American catalogues. % 



7 C. vulgaris Mill. Sour Cherry. Large Red. Morello, &c. Branches 

 spreading; lvs. ovate-lanceolate, acide at apex, narrowed at base, nearly smooth ; um- 

 bels subsessile, with short pedicels ; drupes globous. — A smaller tree than the pre- 

 ceding, much cultivated. Trunk 15 to 20f high, with a roundish, compact head. 

 Branches slender. Lvs. 2 to 3' long, § as wide, unequally serrate, on petioles £ 

 as long, with 2 glands. Fls. white, expanding sooner than the leaves, 2 or 3 from 

 each bud, on pedicels §' long. Fr. large, various shades of red, acid or subacid. 

 Apr. — More than 50 varieties are enumerated. \ (Prunus Cerasus L.) 



6. PRITNUS, Tourn. Plum, Apricot. Calyx 5-cleft, regular, de- 

 ciduous; petals much spreading; stamens 15 to 30 ; ovary 2-ovuled ; 

 drupe ovate, fleshy, generally clothed with a glaucous bloom or with a 

 soft pubescence ; nucleus compressed, smooth. — Small trees or shrubs. 

 Lvs. convolute in vernation. Fls. white, in simple umbels from lateral 

 buds, mostly preceding the lvs. 



§ Drupe downy ; stone farrowed nt edges. Lvs. acuminate Nos. 8, 9 



§ Drupe glabrous — umbels 1 or 2-tlowered. Lvs. acute ' Nos. 5— — T 



— umbels 2 to 5-flowered. — Lvs. rather acute Nos. 2 — 4 



— Lvs. acuminate No 1 



1 P. Americana Marsh. Red Plum. Yellow Plum. Somewhat thorny ; 

 lvs. oblong-oval and obovate, abruptly and strongly acuminate, doubly serrate ; 

 drupes roundish oval, reddish orange, with a thick, coriaceous skin. — Hedges and 

 low woods, U. S. and Can., often cultivated for its sweet and pleasant fruit, 

 which is about the size of the Damson. Shrub 10 to 15f high. Lvs. 2 to 3' long, 

 § as wide, petioles \ to £' long, mostly with 2 glands at the summit. Fls. pre- 

 ceding the lvs., 3 to 4 in each of the numerous umbels, white. Drupes nearly 

 destitute of bloom, ripe in Aug. Flowers in May. \ (Cerasus nigra Loisel.) 



2 P. maritima Wang. Beach Plum. Lvs. oval or obovate, slightly acuminate, 

 sharply serrate ; petioles with 2 glands; umbels few-flowered; pedicels short, pu- 

 bescent ; fr. nearly round. — A small shrub abundant on the sea-beach, particu- 

 larly on Plum Island, at the mouth of Merrimac River. Very branching. Lvs. 

 1 to 3' long, downy-canescent beneath when young, becoming at length nearly 



