ROSE FAMILT. 119 



with the oval or obovate and pointed leaves thin, very veiny, coarsely or doubly 

 serrate, smooth when old ; the fflobular or oval fruit (^' - §' in diameter) yellow 

 with some red, orange, or crimson, with a pleasant juice but a tough acerb skin, 

 the stone sharp-edged or margined. 



P. Chicasa, Chickasaw Plum. Planted or run wild from Penn. S. & 

 W., native S. W. , 6° -12° high, somewhat thorny, with long and narrow 

 almost lanceolate acute leaves, edged witli very tine teeth, a globular red fruit 

 (^' -'i' in diameter) of pleasant flavor, thin-skinned, and containing a margin- 

 less almost globular stone. 



* * Cherries of the Garden- Cherri/ sort, i. e. ivith flowers in sessile umbeh from 

 separate lateral buds, in spring, icith or rather preceding the leaves, which 

 are folded together lengthwise in the bud. 



P. Cerasus, Garden Red Cherry. Cult, from Eu. ; a tree 10° -30° 

 high, with slender spreading branches, obovate and lance-ovate serrate leaves, 

 rather large flowers on shortish pedicels and somewhat preceding the leaves, 

 and an acid red globose fruit. The Morello Cherry is a variety with dark 

 purple more astringent fruit. Probably derived from, or now sometimes mixed 

 with the next. 



P. ^Vium, Bird Cherry of Eu., English Cherry. Cult, from E. ; 

 making a larger tree than the preceding, with ascending branches, softer and 

 coarsely or doubly toothed more pointed leaves, usually pubescent beneath, the 

 flowers developed at the same time with the leaves, and the round-ovoid or 

 somewhat heart-shaped fruit sweet or bitterish-sweet (not acid), of various 

 colors. Double-flowered varieties are cult, for ornament. 



P. Pennsylvanica, Wild Red Cherry. Rocky woods N. Small 

 tree, with light red-brown bark, oblong-lanceolate and pointed leaves smooth 

 and green both sides, their margins flnely and sharply serrate, small flowers on 

 long pedicels, and light red sour fruit not larger than peas. 



P. pumila, Dwarf Cherry. Rocks or sandy banks N. Shrub spread- 

 ing or forming broad tufts on the ground, seldom rising 2° ; leaves spatulate- 

 lanceolate, pale beneath, toothed only towards the apex; floAvers 2-4 together; 

 fruit ovoid, dark red, with stone as large as a pea. 



* * * Cherries of small size, luith flowers in racemes, 

 ■^ In late spring or early summer, terminating leafy shoots of the season. 



P. Ser6tina, Wild Black Cherry. Tree or shrub, westward becoming 

 a good-sized forest tree, with bitter aromatic bark, close-grained reddish wood 

 valued by the cabinet-maker ; the oblong or lance-oblong smooth leaves of thick- 

 ish or firm texture, usually taper-pointed, serrate with incurved short callous 

 teeth ; flowers in long racemes, considerably later than the next ; purplish- 

 black bitterish vinous fruit ripening in autumn. 



P. Virginiana, Choke Cherry. Tall shrub or small tree, with gray- 

 ish bark, oval-oblong or obovate and abruptly pointed thin leaves very sharply 

 serrate with slender projecting teeth ; flowers in shorter and closer racemes, in 

 s])ring ; the fruit ripe in summer, red turning dark crimson, astringent, but 

 eatable wlien fully ri])e, the stone smooth. 



P. Pcldus, Small Bird-Cherry of Eu., is occasionally planted ; resem- 

 bles the last, has longer and looser often drooping racemes, and a roughened 

 stone. 



•<- •»- Erect racemes in early spring, from the axils of evergreen leaves. 

 P. Caroliniana, Carolina Laurel-Cherry, also called Mock Orange 

 at the South, probably from the coriaceous smooth and glossy leaves, which 

 are lance-ovate or oblong, entire or with a few sharp and appressed teeth, 

 longer tiian the racemes, the calyx as well as petals white ; small fruit black 

 and bitter, becoming dry. Ornamental small tree ; the leaves said to be poison- 

 ous to cattle. 



P. Lauro-C6rasus, Laurel-Cherry of Europe, from Asia Minor, and 



P. Lusit^nica, Portl-gal L., from Portugal and the Azores, beautiful 



evergi-een slirul)s or small trees, used for hedges and screens in England, aro 



not hardy N., but would stand south of Penn. Their leaves and kernels aix) 



Strongly imbued with the prussic-aeid or bitter-almond flavor. 



