﻿Trees of New York State 261 



ROSACEAE 



Prunus americana Marsh. 



Wild Plum, Wild Yellow Plum 



Habit — A shrub or small tree 20-35 feet in height with a maximum trunk 

 diameter of 12 inches. Trunk short, usually dividing 4-5 feet above the 

 groiuid into many slender, spreading, slightly drooping branches wliich 

 form a broad, rather deiep crown. 



Leaves — Alternate, elliptical to narrowly obovate, 2-4 inches long, %-l^ 

 inches wide, adumihate at the apex, cuneate or rounded at the base, 

 sharply doubly serrate, at maturity thick, firm, dark green and somewhat 

 scabrous above, paler and glabrous or pubescent below, borne on slender, 

 eglandular petioles %-% of an inch long. 



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

 grown, perfect, about 1 inch broad, ill-scented, borne on slender pedicels 

 %-% of an inch long in 2-5-flowered lateral, glabrous umbels. Calyx- 

 tube narrow, urn-shaped, light red and glabrous or puberulous without, 

 green within, 5-lobed, the lobes acuminate and reflexed after anthesis. 

 Petals 5, white, obovate, rounded and irregularly erose at the top, with 

 short red claws at the base, inserted with the stamens on the calyx-tube. 

 Stamens about 30, with long filiform filaments and small, oval anthers. 

 Pistil green, glabrous, consisting of a 1-celled ovary inserted in the 

 bottom of the calyx-tube, a filiform style, and broad, simple stigma. 



Fruit — A subglobcse or globose-oblong, glabrous, pale punctate, tliick-skinned, 

 bright red drupe, %-l inch in diameter, maturing in late summer or early 

 autumn. Flesh succulent, sour, adhering to the stone. Stone oval, thick- 

 walled, slightly grooved on one side. Seed oval light brown. 



Winter characters — Twigs rather stout, glabrous or slightly pubescent, pale 

 orange-brown, at length smooth and reddish bro^vn. Lateral spinescent 

 spurs usually present. Terminal bud absent. Lateral buds broadly coni- 

 cal, acute, brown, about % of an inch long, the margins of the bud-scales 

 ciliate. Mature bark thin, light reddish brov\ii, breaking up into large, 

 thin, persisting plates. 



Habitat — Prefers rich soil in moist situations along stream courses, in hedge 

 rows and fence corners, or the borders of sAvamps, often forming extensive 

 thickets, more rarely on dry limestone outcrops. 



Bange — Central New York westward to Montana and Colorado, south tc 

 Florida and eastern Texas. Zones A. B, and C. 



Uses — ■ Not a timber species because of its diminutive size. Various varieties 

 are cultivated ornamentally for their showy blossoms and bright green 

 foliage, and for their fruit which has been greatly improved by selection. 

 The tart fruit of the Avild form is sometimes made into preserves. 



