504 



MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



Fig. 265. Wild Red Cherry (Prunus 

 pennsylvanica). It contains the glu- 

 coside ainygdalin. (Ada Hayden). 



Many plants of the family are cultivated for ornamental purposes and some 

 are economic. In the first class is the laurel cherry {Prunus Lauro-cerasus), a 

 handsome fragrant shrub of the Caucasus to northern Persia, cultivated in the 

 southern states and very common in the Mediterranean regions of Europe. The 

 Mayday tree of Europe (Prunus Padus), as well as numerous species of the 

 genus Spiraea, like Spiraea Douglasii. S. salicifolia, S. japonica, S. Thunbergii; 

 the nine-bark (Physocarpus opulif alius), species of the genus Rosa, such as 

 the prairie rose (Rosa sctic/era), svveetbrier (Rosa rttbiginosa), dog rose (Rosa 

 canina), R. rugosa, R. gallica, and the cinnamon rose (R. cinitanionca) are 

 frequently cultivated. Kerria japonica, Rubns odoratus, Pyrus coronarih, P. 

 japonica, P. Aucuparia, P. americana, Crataegus viollis and C. punctata are also 

 cultivated. 



The family contains a largo number of valuable fruits; of these we may 

 mention the service berry (AmelancJiier canadensis and A. spicata), the apple 

 (Pyrus Malus), the pear (Pyrus communis) , the quince (P. Cydonia), straw- 



