PRUNUS 



pRUxrs 



2S27 



on margin, glandless If.-serratures, very short pedicels 

 and smaller fls. 



11. thibetica, Franch. Ornamental tree, 15-^20 ft., 

 with blush-pink fls., and with convolute Ivs. which are 

 oblong and obtuse, crenate, the teeth glandular-callose 

 at their apex: fls. with the Ivs., on pedicels ^-%in. 

 long, blush-pink; petals >in. or less long, scarcely 

 equaling the stamens. W. China, in thickets. 



12. Simonii, Carr. (Persica Slmonii, Decne.). 

 SIMON* or APRICOT PLUM. Fig. 3217. A straight-growing 

 fastigiate tree: Ivs. rather long-oblanceolate or lance- 

 obovate, somewhat thick and heavy, dull, very veiny 

 below, finely but unevenly obtuse-serrate, conduplicate 

 or trough-shaped in habit: fls. nearly white, on short 

 stalks, often 2 or 3 together, preceding the Ivs.: fr. 

 1-2 in. diam., flattened lengthwise, very firm in 

 texture, perfectly smooth, handsome maroon-red, 

 possessing a deep suture, the yellow flesh closely 

 adhering to the small spongy-roughened nearly orbicu- 

 lar pit ; peduncle usually not adhering to the mature fr. 

 Named in honor of Eugene Simon, who sent pits from 

 China to France, prior to 1872; botanical position in 

 the genus doubtful, as it has some of the characters of 

 apricots. The fls. are sometimes described as appear- 

 ing with the Ivs., but in X. Y., at least, they are dis- 

 tinctly precocious. China. Not known as a native 

 plant" R.H. 1872:110. Gn. 70, p. 225. Intro, into the 

 I*. S. about 1880, or shortly after. Although much 

 advertised by nurserymen, it has not attracted great 

 attention from fruit-growers in the E. On the Pacific 

 slope it is popular. The fr. is usually bitter, with an 

 almond-like astringency, but sometimes it is very 

 palatable. The tree is very hardy and vigorous some- 

 what north of the limit of peach-growing, but, except in 

 the Pacific region, it does not appear to be uniformly 

 productive. The fr. is handsome, with a pleasing odor 

 and it keeps a long time. The tree is conspicuous for 

 its narrow erect growth. The fls. are borne on short 

 spurs on wood 2 and more years old; also singly on the 

 last year's srowth. The Wickson plum is apparently a 

 hybrid of this species and P. salicina. 



BBB. Group of American or native plums: los. relatively 

 narrow and smooth, and the young growth glabrous 

 (P. subcordata and P. americana partial excep- 

 tions), the fr. comparatively small and in shades of 

 yellow and red, not deep blue-purple: fls. mostly 

 more than 3 (sometimes 2) from each bud in the 

 cluster 



c. LVS. mostly broad and thick, pubescent or roughish 

 beneath, very sharply serrate or even jagged: fr. 

 thick-skinned. 



D. Shape of Ivs. mostly oval to orbicular, and usually 

 obtuse: far western. 



13. subcordata, Benth. PACIFIC PLUM. Small tree 

 or bush, usually only a few feet high, but sometimes 

 rising to 20 or 25 ft.: Ivs. round-ovate, or orbicular, 

 obtuse, mostly broad or subcordate at base, either 

 sharply or obtusely serrate (usually incised-serrate), 

 thick, soft-pubescent beneath but becoming more or 

 less glabrous: fls. white fading to rose, less than 1 in. 

 across, in clusters of 4 or less and appearing before or 

 with the Ivs.: fr. globular or short-oblong, usually dark 

 red, in the largest wild forms somewhat over 1 in. diam., 

 the flesh subacid and clinging to the flat, smooth, or 

 slightlv roughened stone. High lands and mountains, 

 Calif, "and Ore. S.S. 4:154. The fr. is gathered for 

 domestic uses, and the tree is sometimes planted about 

 settlements. It varies much, and the greater -part of 

 the trees do not produce agreeable fr. In many cases 

 it is only a tree-like bush. The bark is blackish, and 

 is sometimes pubescent on young shoots, which are 

 reddish. 



Yar. Kelloggii, Lemmon. SISSON PLUM. Taller and 

 more slender: bark ash-gray: Ivs. usually not cordate, 



orbicular or elliptical, nearly glabrous, but apparently 

 not constantly different from the species itself: fr. 

 larger (1 in. or more long), ovate, yellow or red, the 

 flesh soft and palatable. X. Calif. Much recommended 

 by Mr. Sisson, near Mt. Shasta, whose name it bears, 

 and now planted in some places in Calif. It is superior 

 to P. subcordata. The tree rarely exceeds 15 ft. in height 

 and 4-6 in. diam. of trunk. It seems to lack good 

 botanical characters of separation from the type of the 

 species. 



Var. oregana, Wight (P. oregana, Greene). OREGON 

 PLUM. Fr. pubescent at maturity: Ivs. oval or ovate, 

 not so large as usual in the type species, pubescent at 

 least beneath. Ore. Apparently not cult. 



DD. Shape of Ivs. on the ovate or oblong order, mostly 

 acuminate: the Americana set, mostly with Irs. 

 large in proportion to size of plant. 



E. Stature of trees: Ivs. and fls. large. 



14. americana, Marsh. (P. latifolia, Moench. P. 



hiemalis, Michx., at least in part. P. ignota, Xels.). 



COMMON WILD PLUM. Figs. 3218, 3219; also Figs. 3075, 



3076. Small twiggy spreading usually thorny tree 



3218. Prunus americana, as it grows 

 wild in New York ( X h) . No. 14. 



mostly forming thickets, with gray branches or gray- 

 brown twigs: Ivs. obovate, oblong-obovate or sometimes 

 oblong-ovate, acuminate, thickish, the margins mostly 

 sharp-serrate or sometimes almost incised, not gloss3 T , 

 strongly reticulated beneath and pubescent on the 

 veins: fls. large, white, slender-stalked, the calyx-lobes 

 entire and pubescent on the inside, appearing in small 

 clusters in advance of the Ivs. : fr. various, but mostly 

 small and hard, the skin tough and glaucous and not 

 shining, yellow and variously overlaid with red; stone 

 turgid. Woods and copses. Mass, and N. Y. to Man., 

 Utah, and New Mex., and in the E. to Savannah, Ga., 

 and nearly to the Gulf; the most widely distributed of 

 the native true plums. It sometimes reaches a height 

 of 15-20 ft. S.S. 4: 150. In the E., the frs. are usually 

 austere, and often not fit for eating; but in the W., edible- 

 fruited forms are found in abundance. It is the most 

 prolific source of cult, native plums for the cold N., 

 giving rise to such varieties as Blackhawk, Cherokee, 

 Craig, Forest Garden, De Soto, Golden Queen, Gay- 

 lord, Rollingstone, Xewton, Hawkeye. 



Var. mollis, Torr. & Gray (P. landta, Mack. & Bush. 

 P. americana var. landta, Sudw.). Lvs. and shoots soft- 

 pubescent or sometimes almost tomentose. 111., Iowa, 

 Mo. To this form belong the Wolf, Van Buren, Quaker, 

 and American Eagle plums. There is also a double-fld. 

 variety. 



