AMYGDALE^E. 97 



HAB. Banks of streams. Can. to Virg. May. T>. A low shrub 

 with spreading branches. Fruit black, small and agreeably 

 tasted.. % 



7. C. borealis Mich. : flowers sub-corymbed ; pedicels elongated ; 

 leaves oval-oblong, acuminate, membranaceous, glabrous, erosely den- 

 ticulate, smooth ; fruit subovate. Prunus borealis Pursh. 



HAB. Mountains. Can and N. S. May. . A small tree 

 with delicate leaves, and hard and fine grained wood. Fruit 

 small, red, agreeable to the taste, but astringent. Pursh. 



Choke Cherries. 



** Floicers racemose, arising from the brandies. 



8. C. pennsylvanicw De Cand.: umbels subsessile, aggregated, at length 

 becoming paniculate ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, smooth, 

 with two glands at the base ; branches punctate.. Prunus lanceolata 

 Wittd. <-P. pcnnsylvanica Ait. 



HAB. Woods. N. S. N. to Subarctic America. April, May. T?. 

 A sizeable tree, resembling Prunus cerasus. Fruit small, red 

 and astringent. Muhlengberg and Torrey havo, I think with- 

 out reason, confounded this species with P. borealis. Both are 

 retained by De Canjdolle, and they are even arranged by him un- 

 der different sections of his genus Cerasus. 



9. C. virginiania Mich. : racemes erect, elongated ; petals orbicular ; 

 leaves oblong, acuminate, dentate, smooth on ftoth sides ; petioles with 

 2 4 glands ; fruit dark red. Prunus virginiana Linn. 



HAB. Woods. Can. to Flor. W. to Miss. , N. to Are. Amer. 

 May. T?. A large tree with blackish rough bark and very dense 

 wood, resembling mahogany, which is much used by cabinetmak- 

 ers. Flowers white, in long simple racemes. Fruit purplish- 

 black. 



10. C. serotina De Cand. : racemes loose, at length pendulous ; leaves 

 deciduous, oval or obovate, with a short acumination, opaque, doubly 

 and very sharply serrate ; midrib bearded on each side towards the 

 base j petiole with two glands. Prunus serotina Wittd. 



HAB. In woods. N. S. June. ^>. A large tree, resembling 

 the preceding in its bark and wood. The fruit is dark red and 

 astringent. According to Dr. Torrey/ this species has been con- 

 founded with the preceding by Michaux and- other botanists, 

 and both are incorrectly described by Willdenow and Pur* h. 



11. C. obovata Beck: racemes spreading; leaves obovate, acute, 

 mostly obtuse at base and sometimes cordate, sharply serrate, smooth, 

 except the axils of the lower veins beneath ; petioles mostly with two 

 glands. Prunus obovata Big. P. serotina Pursh not of Wittd. ? 



HAB. Margins of woods. Can. to Car. ? May. ^>. A shrub 

 3 4 feet high, rarely rising to the height of a small tree. Fruit 

 small, red and bitter. I have long been acquainted with this 

 shrub which is certainly distinct from C. serotina as above de- 

 scribed. It may be identical with Prunus kirsutus of Elliott. 



12. C. canadensis De Cand. .- flowers in racemes ; leaves deciduous, 



9 



