DRUPACE^E. 91 



Stem 8 15 feet high, much branched. Leaves rather coarsely serrate. Flowers 

 white, preceding the leaves. Drupe an inch or a little less in diameter, with a 

 yellow pulp, and thick tough skin. Red Plum. Yellow Plum. 



3. P. spinosa Linn. : branches thorny ; peduncles solitary ; calyx cam- 

 panulate ; lobes obtuse, longer than the tube ; leaves obovate-elliptic or 

 ovate, pubescent beneath, coarsely and doubly dentate ; drupe globose. 



Hedgerows. Penn. Tj. Introduced. Pursh. Black Thorn or Sloe. 



2. CERASUS. Juss. Cherry. 



(The name of an Asiatic town, whence the cherry is said to have been de- 

 rived.) 



Flowers as in the preceding. Drupe globose or umbilicate 

 at base, fleshy, very smooth, destitute of gray powder ; nucleus 

 subglobose, smooth. 



* Flowers umbetted : pedicels L-flowered, arising from the buds. 



1. C. pumila Mich. : depressed or prostrate ; leaves obovate-lanceolate, or 

 oval, acute or obtuse, serrulate, smooth, glaucous beneath; umbels sessile, 

 few-flowered ; drupe ovoid. C. depressiz D. C. Prunus pumila Wittd. 



Banks of streams. Hudson's Bay to Virg-. W. to Miss. May. }~i . Stem 

 trailing, the branches 3 20 inches high. Drupe dark-red, eatable. 



Sand Cherry. 



2. C. Pennsijlvanica D. C. : leaves oval or oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, 

 smooth and shining when old, mostly with 2 glands at the base ; umbels 

 subsessile, somewhat corymbose, many-flowered ; drupe ovoid-subglobose. 

 C. borealis Mich. Prunus borealis Pursh. P. Pennsylvanica and lance- 

 olata Willd. 



Woods. Subarct. Amer. to Virg. W. to the Rocky Mountains. April, May. 

 A small tree, with reddish bark. Leaves 2 5 inches long. Drupe small, red 

 and astringent. Bird Cherry. 



** FlmKers racemose, arising from the branches. 



3. C. Virginiana D. C. : leaves broad-oval or somewhat obovate, ab- 

 ruptly acuminate, often subcordate, toothed, smoothish ; petioles with 2 4 

 glands ; racemes short, erect or spreading ; drupe subglobose. C. obovata 

 Deck Bot. 1st. Ed. Prunus Virginiana Linn. P. obovata Big. P. sero- 

 tina Pursh. 



Woods. Hudson's Bay to Flor. April, May. A small tree or low shrub, 

 with gray branches. Fruit a quarter of an inch in diameter, dark-red when ripe, 

 very astringent. Choke Cherry. 



4. C. serotina D. C. : leaves oval-oblong or lance-oblong, acuminate, 

 smooth and shining above, bearded along the midrib beneath, finely ser- 

 rate ; petiole mostly with 2 or more glands ; drupe globose. C. Virginiana 

 Mich. Prunus serotina Willd. 



Woods. Can. to Flor. May, June. A tree 3060 feet high; branches 

 spreading. Flowers in long racemes, which are at length pendulous. Drupe 

 dark purple, about as large as in the preceding, slightly bitter. The wood is 

 close-grained, and very valuable for cabinet work. Wild Cherry. 



