Handbook of Trees of the Northern States and Canada. 275 



A small tree rarely over 20 or 25 ft. in 

 height Avitli rather wide ruumiod top of spread- 

 ing slt'nd,L'r hraiuhi'S, and trunk rarely more 

 tliaii 8 or 1!) in. in diameter eovered with a 

 thin dark brown bark rough with closely ap- 

 pressed seales. It is often a shrub of but few 

 feet in height forming thiekets of considerable 

 extent. 



The fact that it is confined in its dis- 

 tril)ution mostly to old fields and roadsides 

 in tlie vicinity of human habitations suggests 

 the thought that it may be an introduced tree, 

 but from whence it is not known. Early set- 

 tlers found it growing about the settlements 

 of tlie Indians in the Soutli. among whom th-re 

 was a tradition that it was brought from be- 

 yond the Mississippi River. 



Its fruit is valued for immediate eating and 

 for preserves and jellies and is regularly mar- 

 keted in season in southern towns, commonly 

 under the name of " mountain cherries." Vari- 

 ous improved forms are sold by nursery houses 

 but only suitable for the southern climate. 



Lrarcs lanceolate to lance-oblong. 1-2 in ]on^. 

 mostly tapering at base, acute or apicuhUe at 

 apex," sharply ser'rate, glabrous, lustrous bright 

 green above, paler beneath and with short glabrdus 

 or puberulous iietioles having two glands near the 

 leaf blade. FJoirrrs small, about V:t in. across, 

 expanding before the loaves in lateral 2-4-flowpred 

 umbols, with slender glabrous pedicels : calyx 

 glabrous with lobes pubescent inside ; petals white, 

 rounded. Fniif ripening in early summer, sub- 

 globose, about V. in. in diameter, lustrous red, 

 without bloom, with thin skin, .iuicy sul)acid fl(>sb 

 and turgid oblong thick-walled stone with thick 

 rounded margins and somewhat grooved lu the 

 dorsal suture. 



1. Frunus Chicaaa Mlclix. 



