The Plums and the Cherries 



B. Leaves lanceolate, taper pointed; fruit sour. 



(P. P ennsylvanica) wild red cherry 

 BB. Leaves obovate, blunt pointed; fruit bitter. 



(P. emarginata) bitter cherry 

 AAA. Flowers in terminal racemes; fruit globose. 



Wild Cherries 

 B. Trees small, blooming early; leaves broad, abruptly 

 pointed. 

 C. Fruit red, puckery; sap rank smelling. 



{P. Virginiana) choke cherry 

 CC. Fruit purple, mild, edible. 



(P. demissa) western choke cherry 

 BB. Trees large, blooming late, leaves oval to lanceolate, 

 taper pointed; fruit black, sweetish. 



(P. serotina) wild black cherry 

 AAAA. Flowers in lateral racemes; leaves persistent; fruit 



globular. Cherry Laurels 



B. Fruit thin fleshed, dry. 



C. Flowers in autumn; fruit brown. 



(P. sphcerocarpa) west-indian cherry 

 CC. Flowers in spring; fruit black; leaves with entire 



margins. (P. Caroliniana) cherry laurel 



BB. Fruit thick fleshed, juicy; leaves ovate, entire, or 

 obscurely spiny serrate. 



(P. iniegrijolia) entire-leaf cherry 



The genus Prunus includes trees with stone fruits, and has 

 its representatives well distributed over the Northern Hemisphere. 

 In its wild forms it is not as well known, perhaps, as in those 

 varieties that horticulture has brought to high perfection and 

 importance as fruit trees. There are over one hundred species, 

 including many shrubby ones. Of this number about thirty 

 occur in North America, only half of which assume tree form. 

 All of these but the wild black cherry are small trees. Neverthe- 

 less the wood of most of them is valuable, being close grained and 

 durable. Their fruits furnish food and medicinal substances. 

 Beside the cherries and plums of others countries, the peach, 

 apricot and almond belong to this genus. Important flowering 

 varieties of each are to be added to this list of valuable introduced 

 stone fruits. 



THE PLUMS 



Wild Red, or Yellow Plum {Prunus Americana, Marsh.) 

 A graceful little tree, 15 to 20 feet high, with thorny limbs. Bark 



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