112 ROSACEJE. (ROSE FAMILY.) 



$ 1. PRtaUS, Tourn. (PLUM.) Drupe usually with a bloom; the stone fiat 

 tened, or at least wider than thick: leaves convolute ih the bud, flowers more or lest 

 preceding the leaves, from lateral buds ; the pedicels few or several, in simple umbel- 

 like clusters. 



1. P. Americana, Marsh. (WILD YELLOW or BED PLUM.) Leaves 

 ovate or somewhat obovate, conspicttously pointed, coarsely or doubly serrate, very 

 veiny, glabrous ivhen mature ; fruit nearly destitute of bloom, roundish-oval, yel- 

 low, orange, or red, '-' in diameter, with the turgid stone more or less acute 

 on both margins, or in cultivated states 1' or more in diameter, having a flat- 

 tened stone with broader margins (pleasant-tasted, but with a tough and acerb 

 skin). River-banks, common. May. Tree ol* bush thorny, 8 - 20 high. 



2. P. maritima, Wang. (BEACH PLUM.) Low and straggling (2- 

 5) ; leaves ovate or oval, finely serrate, softly pubescent underneath ; pedicels short, 

 pubescent; fruit globular, purple or crimson with a bloom (|'-1' in diameter), 

 the stone very turgid, acute on one edge, rounded and minutely grooved on the 

 other. (P. littoralis, Bigelow.) Varies, when at some distance from the coast, 

 with the leaves smoother and thinner, and the fruit smaller. (P. pygmaea, 

 Willd.) Sea-beach and the vicinity, Massachusetts to New Jersey and Vir- 

 ginia. April, May. 



3. P. Chicasa, Michx. (CHICKASAW PLUM.) Stem scarcely thorny 

 ( 8 -15 high) ; leaves nearly lanceolate, finely serrulate, glabrous, little veiny; 

 fruit globular, red, nearly destitute of bloom (^'-' in diameter); the ovoid 

 stone almost as thick as wide, rounded at both sutures, one of them minutely 

 grooved. Kentucky (where probably it is not indigenous) and south westward : 

 naturalized in some places. April. 



4. P. SPIN6SA, L. (SLOE. BLACK THORN.) Branches thorny; leave* 

 obovate-oblong or ovate-lanceolate, sharply serrate, at length glabrous; pedicels gla- 

 brous; fruit small, globular, black with a bloom, the stone turgid, acute on 

 one edge. Var. INSIT^TIA (BULLACE-PLUM), is less spiny, the pedicels 

 and lower side of the leaves pubescent. (P. insititia, L.) Road-sides and 

 waste places, E. New England, Penn., c. (Adv. from Eu.) 



$2. CERASUS, Tourn. (CHERRY.) Drupe, drst flute of bloom; the stone 

 globular and marginless ; leaves folded (conduplicate) in the bud: inflorescence as 

 in 1. 



5. P. piimila, L. (DWARF CHERRY.) Smooth, depressed and trail- 

 ing (G'~ 18' high) ; leaves obovate-lanceolatc, tapering to the base, somewhat toothed 



near the apex, pale underneath ; flowers 2-4 together; fruit ovoid, dark red. 

 Rocks or sandy banks, Massachusetts northward to Wisconsin, and south to 

 Virginia along the mountains. May. 



6. P. Pennsylvaiiica, L. (WILD RED CHERRY.) Lf-aiw oblong- 

 lanceoloti', poinh'il, jt/t/li/ and sharply serrate, shining, green and smooth both xid,>s ; 

 flowers many in a cluster, on long pedicels; fruit globose, light red. Rocky 

 woods; common, (-specially northward. May. Tree 20-3G high, with 

 light red -brown bark, and very small fruit with thin and sour flesh 



