﻿Trecfi of Neiv York t<i<itc 241 



ROSAGEAE 



Amolaiicliier canadensis (L.) Medic* 



Shad Bush, Serviceberry, Juneberry 



Habit — A small tree 20-30 feet in height with a trunk diameter of G-12 

 inches, occasionally mider optimum conditions 50 feet tall, at times 

 shrubby and fastigiately branched. Trunk long, slender, usually straight 

 and wdth slight taper. Crown narrow, oblong, round-topped, dense mth 

 many slender branches. 



Leaves — Alternate, obovate to oblong or ovate-oval, l%-4 inches long, 

 •%-2 inches wide, acute or acuminate at the apex, cordate or rounded 

 at the base, sharply and somewhat doubly serrate, at maturity thick, firm, 

 glabrous, dull dark green above, paler and slightly pubescent on the veins 

 beneath, borne on slender petioles ^/^-l inch long. 



Flowers — Appearing in April and May when the leaves are about one-third 

 grown, perfect. y2-l inch broad, borne on slender bibracteolate pedicels 

 ^-1 inch long in erect or lax, tomentose racemes 3-4 inches long. Calyx- 

 tube campanulatc, quite smooth, 5-lobed, the lobes oblong-triangular, acute 

 or obtuse, tomentose at least above. Petals white, linear-oblong or some- 

 what obovate, rounded or obtuse at the apex, inserted on the calyx-tube, 

 %-% of an inch long. Stamens usually 20, shorter than the petals, 

 the subulate filaments bearing oblong yellow anthers. Ovary smooth, 

 inferior, 5-celled. Styles 3-5, connate below, bearing tenninal stigmas. 



Fruit — A globose, berry-like, glaucous, bright red pome, V^-V^ of an incli 

 in diameter, marked at the apex by the persistent calyx-lobes and stamen- 

 filaments, borne on slender pedicels %-'^Vo of an inch long, ripening 

 in June or July and turning purplish red. Flesh dry, rather tasteless. 

 Seeds numerous, small. 



Winter characters — Twigs slender, somewhat zigzag, smooth but usually 

 covered with a thin, grayish, evanescent outer layer, reddish brown Avith 

 small minute lenticels, at length dark reddish brown. Terminal bud 

 narrowly ovate to conical, acuminate, greenish or purplish brown, hairy 

 at the apex and along the scale-margins, Vl-Vi; of an inch long. Lateral 

 buds on A-igorous twigs normal, smaller than the terminal bud, somewhat 

 divergent. On slow-growing twigs the lateral buds are often rudimentary. 

 Mature bark tliin, smooth, grayish broAvn, on older trees divided by 

 shallow fissures in narroAV, scaly, longitudinal ridges. 



Habitat — Dry banks and hillsides, open upland woods and limestone ridges, 

 seeminglj- preferring calcareous soils. 



Bange — New Hampshire westward to Iowa, Kansas and Missouri, southward 

 to Georgia and Louisiana. Zones A, B, and C. 



Uses — Not a timber species because of its small size. Wood hard, heavy, 

 strong, close-grained, dark brown often tinged wiXh red, with thick, paler 

 sapwood. Occasionally used for tool handles and in the manufacture of 

 fishrods. The showy white flowers which appear in dense masses in early 

 spring before the leaves have become green, render this species of orna- 

 mental value. The fruit is a favorite food of birds. 



* A second arborescent spwies of AmcUnicMcr, A. laeris \Vicg.,has been reported 

 fis occurring within the borders of New York State. This is found in moist, more 

 protected places in revines and gorges, seeming to avoid excessive isolation, and dif- 

 fers from A. canndensix in that the foliage has a bronze cast at blossom time (in 

 contrast to the white tomentose foliage of the other formt, in its looser racemes 

 with longer flower pedicels and petals, and in the larger, longer-stalked fniit. 



