88 On the Frunus americana of Marshall. 



in Canada.* Being surprised to find the species so extensively- 

 distributed and yet so imperfectly and obscurely described,! was 

 induced to procure the accompanying plate, for the purpose of 

 aiding to determine its character. It is a curious fact,that although 

 Marshall, in his Arbustum americanum, gave a pretty good de- 

 scription of this plum so long ago as 1785, yet no subsequent 

 botanist, that I know^ of, has noticed that description, nor given 

 any clear and satisfactory account of the plant itself. On the 

 contrary, the modern books have only increased the uncertainty, 

 and rendered " confusion worse confounded." 



There can be no doubt that Muhlenberg was well acquainted 

 with this species ; and it is probable that the absurd name, 

 nigra, is intended for it in his Catalogue, as it stands thus — '* P. 

 nigra {Americana^ Yellow Plum !" What the P. nigra of 

 Aiton, Willdenow, Persoon, Pursh, &c. really is, I have not the 

 means of ascertaining ; but a part of the description, at least, 

 (viz. " petiolis biglandulosis,") is not applicable to the one in 

 question. 



Although Muhlenberg gives the P. hiemalis, as a distinct 

 species from the foregoing, yet Michaux's description of the 

 P. hiemalis seems to be intended for our plum, except where 

 he says, " fructus nigricans hieme edulis," which, I appre- 

 hend must be a mistake. I doubt, indeed, whether any plum in 

 the United States, can with propriety be called a winter plum. 

 Mr. Elliott, in the description of his P. hiemalis, comes still 

 nearer to our plum that Michaux has done : and he remarks, 

 further, that what is commonly called the winter plum in the 

 low country, really ripens in July and August. The Prunus 

 americana also matures its fruit in August ; and I strongly in- 

 cline to the belief that they are identical, though Mr. Elliott 

 has unfortunately omitted to mention the color of the ripe 

 fruit of his P. hiemalis. As to Pursh's plant of this name, if 



* It grows abundantly in several parts of Massachusetts, particularly 

 111 the neighbourhood of Amherst. — Pub. Comm- 



