Handbook ok TitKKs oi- tiik Noi; tiikii.n Siatks and Canada. 411 



petals "), wliito, sproading. (Iccidiious ; stamens mimcroiis. insci'tcd witli tlie petals on the 

 calyx, with free filiform filaments and oval 2-seeded anthers; pistil solitary with 1-celled 

 ovary, single terminal style. (•ai)itate stifrina : ovules 2, suspended. Fruit a 1-seeded drupe 

 with horny compressed pit, the seed suspended ; cotyledons fleshy. 

 The name is tlie ancient Lai in iiaiiie nf (lie I'lum-trer. 



ki:y to tiik sPEriKS. 



a Flowers in axillar\ umliels expanding with or Ix'fore the leaves: pit more or less flattened 

 b Petioles rnlher slender .Mnd lon« { IHnl T/n /tiCv I 

 c I''ruil mostly '•_> in. oi- more in diameter 



Leaves i)ul)escent liene.nlh : fruit sweet P. Avium. 



Leaves ulnhrous : fruit tart P. Cerasus. 



c" I'^ruit about •', in. in diameter. ver\- sour P. Peiinsylvanica. 



b= Petiides stout and shoit {I'limis) 



c Fruit red or vellow and about 1 in. or less louu' : leaves abi'upih- acuuiinate and 

 d Obovate-obioii.n-. thickish. dull and veins impressed: calyx-lobes 



(ilabrous inside: pit much compressed P. nigra. 



Pubescent inside: pit turgid P. Americana. 



d' Ov.ite-lnnceolate to lanceolate, thinnish : pit turgid: calyx-lobes 



Pubescent both sides: fruit austeie with thickish skin... P. hortulana. 



(ilabrous: fruit with thinnish skin P. augustifolia. 



c'- Fruit dark blue with bloom; leaves ovate and i)etioles mostly without glamls. 



P. Alleghaniensis. 



a" Flowers in tenuiiial corymbs appearing after the leaves P. Mahaleb. 



a" Flowers in ra<-enies terminating leafy branchlets ; leaves finely senate 



b With slender spreading teeth ; leaves thinnish P. Virginiana. 



b- With incurved callous teeth ; leaves thickish P. serotina. 



a* Flowers mostly solitary; leaves oblong-lanceolate; fruit velvety... P. Persica. 

 /■'of .s/Kcics sec pp. 262-,2Ki and the foUouiiit/ : 

 PK.U'ii. Pnnnis rersica (L.) S. & Z. (Amyr/dahifi Pcrsiea L. ) . The Peach was early 

 introduceil into this country from Europe, coming originally it is thought from China, and 

 is found naturalized in localities from southern N. Y. southward. It is a small tree, occasion- 

 ally 1 ft. in diameter, with bark exfoliating in laminate scales. Leans lanceolate to lance- 

 oblong. 4-(» in. long, tajiering about equally to both ends, serrate, glabrous: jietioles stout. 

 % in. long. Flou-<rs aiipenring before the leaves, solitary, pink, varying in sixe from ^■•-'1 in. 

 broad, scaly-bracted. /•';•(/ // a subglobose grooved drupe, velvety-tomentose, with very hard 

 deeply pitted stone. 



PULSE OR PEA FAMILY. LE( R'^IIXOS-E. 



A very large and important family of trees, shrubs and herbs of wide distribution 

 thidughont all temiierate and tropical regions, generally free from obnoxious properties and 

 many of its representatives of the greatest economic importance. There are about 7,000 

 species groui)ed in nearly 4."><) genera, and of these seventeen have arborescent representatives 

 in the United States. 



Leaves alternate, usually compound, with stii)ules. Flairers regular or i)aidlionaceous 

 and usually perfect; stamens 10 or man\'. with diadelphous (sometimes distinct) filaments 

 and 2-celled anthers opening longitudinally ; pistil solitary, with one or several-celled superior 

 ovary. Fruit a legume. 



KEY TO THE GENERA. 

 a Flowers regular or imperfectly papilionaceous; lobes imbricated in a>stivation : stamens 

 with distinct filaments ; seeds albumenous : flowers 

 b Imperfectly iiapilionaceotis, i)erfect ; legume thin and flat; leaves simide. 



Cercis. 

 b" Regular, diu'cious oi- jiolygamous ; leaves 



Bipinnate : cnlyx-tube elongated : stamens 10; pods thick Gymnocladus. 



Both i)iniiate and bii)innate ; stamens 3-.j ; pods thin Gleditsia. 



a" Flowers i)apilionaceous ; seeds usually without albumen; leaves once-pinnat(^ : stamens 



b Distinct ; flowers iw long loose panicles Cladrastis. 



b' l)iad<'lphous ; jkxI thin ;ind flat : stipides si)inescent Robinia. 



THE RED-BUDS. Gi-Nr.s CERCIS L. 



Small trees and shrubs <if seven sjjecies. three of which are natives of North .\merica 

 and the others of l-'.urope an. I .Vsia. Of tlu' tlir.'e North American species on.> is a Californian 

 shrub, another is .i small tree of the b.Msiii uf ilie Uio Cr.inde in Texas and southwar.l. ■•md 

 the third is widely distributed in the midille and eastern states. 



Leaves simple, deciduous, broad, with .">-7 prominent veins, entire, long-petiolate ; petioles 

 terete, slender and enlarged near the leaf-blade; stipules small, membranaceous, caducous. 



