504 



MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



Fig. 265. Wild Red Cherry (Prunus 

 Pennsylvania). It contains the glu- 

 coside amygdalin. (Ada Hayden). 



Many plants of the family are cultivated for ornamental purposes and some 

 are economic. In the first class is the laurel cherry (Prunus Lauro-cerasus), a 

 handsome fragrant shrub of the Caucasus to northern Persia, cultivated in the 

 southern states and very common in the Mediterranean regions of Europe. The 

 Mayday tree of Europe (Prunus Padus), as well as numerous species of the 

 genus Spiraea, like Spiraea Douglasii, S. salictfolia, S. japonica, S. Thunbergii; 

 the nine-bark (Physocarpus opulifolius), species of the genus Rosa, such as 

 the prairie rose (Rosa sctigcra), sweetbrier (Rosa rubiginosa), dog rose (Rosa 

 canina), R. rugosa, R. gallica, and the cinnamon rose (R. clnnamonea) are 

 frequently cultivated. Kcrria japonica, Rubus odoratus, Pyrus coronaria, P. 

 japonica, P. Aucuparia, P. americana, Crataegus mollis and C. punctata are also 

 cultivated. 



The family contains a large number of valuable fruits; of these we may 

 mention the service berry (Amelanchier canadensis and A. spicata}, the apple 

 (Pyrus Mains), the pear (Pyrus commiinis}, the quince (P. Cydonia), straw- 



