466 sturtevant's notes on edible plants 



p. subcordata Benth. pacific plum. 



California. The fruit is large, pleasantly acid and excellent;' it is gathered in con- 

 siderable quantities by both Indians and Whites.* 



P. tomentosa Thunb. 



East Asia. This species is a bush or very small tree. The fruit ripens early in the 

 summer, is of cherry size and of good quality. The imripe fruit is also pickled or boiled 

 in honey and is served as a delicacy.* 



P. trifiora Roxb. Japanese plum, triflora plum. 



Burma, China and Japan. This plant is now common in the gardens of India.* It is 

 cultivated in China, Japan and now in Europe and America. 



P. umbellata Ell. sloe of the south. 



A small tree from Georgia to Florida. The fruit is pleasantly acid and is employed 

 in preserves.' 



P. ursina Kotschy. bear plum. 



Syria. This plum bears sweet, pleasant fruit, the size of a damson and serves as food.' 



P. virginiana Linn, choke cherry. 



A tall shrub of North America, seldom a tree, the fruit of which is very austere and 

 astringent imtil perfectly ripe.' The fruit differs much on different plants, being sometimes 

 very austere, sometimes very juicy and pleasant with little astringency. Wood,' in his 

 New England's Prospects, mentions choke cherries and says they are very austere and 

 as yet " as wilde as the Indians." Tjrtler ^ says the fruit is not very edible but forms 

 a desirable addition to pemmican when dried and bruised. The fruit is now much used 

 by the Indians of the West, and the bark is made into a tea and drunk by some of them. 

 The purplish-black or red fruit is sweet and edible but is somewhat astringent." 



Psammisia bicolor Klotzsch. Vacciniaceae. 



Of the cold zone of the Peruvian Andes. A high, evergreen bush with red berries 

 of the size of a hazelnut." 



Pseudospondias microcarpa Engl. Anacardiaceae. 

 Guinea. The small, black fruit is edible.** 



Newberry Pacific R. R. Rpt. 6:73. 1857. 

 ' Brewer and Watson Boi. Col. 1 : 167. 1880. 

 ' Georgeson Amer. Card. 12:75. 1891. 



* Royle, J. F. Illustr. Bot. Himal. 1:205. 1839. 

 'Elliott, S. Bo/. 5o. Car., Ga. 1:542. 1821. 



Unger, P. U. S. Pat. Off. Rpt. 340. 1859. 

 ' Gray, A. Man. Bot. 149. 1868. 

 >Wood, W. New Eng. Prosp. 16. 1865. 



' Tytler Prog. Disc. No. Coast Amer. 311. 1833. 

 ' Brewer and Watson Bot. Col. i : 167. 1880. (P. demissa) 

 " Mueller, P. 5e/. P/j. 498. 1891. (Vaccinium bicolor) 

 " Don, G. Hist. Dickl. Pis. 2:7^. 1832. (Spondias zanzee) 



