#9. PRUNUS SEROTINA WILD BLACK CHERRY. 17 



USES. A valuable timber in sections where abundant for fence-posts 

 and rails, etc., and is used to some extent for the hubs of wagon wheels, 

 etc. 



The tree is a popular one for ornamental purposes and young trees are 

 extensively used for hedges. 



MEDICINAL PROPERTIES. None are known of this species. 



ORDER ROSACE.ZE: ROSE FAMILY. 



Leaves alternate and with stipules which sometimes fall early or are rarely want- 

 ing. Flowers regular; sepals 5 or rarely fewer, united at the base and often fur- 

 nished outside with branchlets resembling the sepals; petals as many as the sepals 

 or rarely wanting, distinct and inserted on a disk which lines the calyx-tube; stamens 

 distinct, numerous (with rare exceptions) and inserted with the petals on the disk 

 of the calyx-tube; pistils 1-rnany distinct or united and often combined with the 

 calyx-tube. Fruit various, as drupe, pome, achenia, etc.; seeds solitary or few, mostly 

 albumenless, with straight embryo and large thick cotyledons. 



Trees, shrubs and herbs many of great economic value in the production of most 

 useful fruits, beautiful flowers, choice perfumes, etc. 



GENUS PRUNUS, TOURN. 



Leaves simple; stipules free and commonly deciduous. Flowers perfect, with 

 calyx regular, free and falling away after flowering; petals widely spreading; stamens 

 15-80; pistil solitary with style terminal or nearly so and ovary 'containing 2 pendu- 

 lous ovules. Fruit a drupe, fleshy, with a smooth 1 -seeded (rarely 2-seeded) stone. 



Trees, and shrubs. (" Prunas " is the ancient Latin name of the plum-tree.) 



29. PRUNUS SEROTINA, EHRH. 

 WILD BLACK CHERRY. 



Ger., SpdtUilJiende Traubenkirsche ; Fr., Mensier ; Sp., Oereza silvestre 



negra. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. Leaves deciduous, 3-5 inches long and half as broad, 

 rather thick and shining above, lanceolate-oblong or elliptical, unequally serrate 

 with short callous teeth and the petioles bearing 2-4 reddish glands. Flowers (June) 

 appear after the leaves in elongated spreading cylindric racemes; petals white, obovate. 

 Fruit (cherry) somewhat larger than a pea, purplish-black and when ripe of pleasant 

 flavor. 



(The specific name " serotina" is the Latin for late, doubtless in allusion to the 

 lateness of the appearance of the flowers as compared with some others of the genus.) 



This tree sometimes attains the height of 100 ft. (30 m.) with a tall 

 straight trunk 3 or 4 ft. (I m.) in diameter undivided for some ways 

 from the ground. Its bark when young is smooth and close, the outer 

 layer peeling off in strips transversely, but as the bark grows older 

 breaking into small hard scales of dark color and giving the old trunks 

 a very characteristic appearance. When in blossom the showy cylindri- 

 cal clusters of white flowers are a prominent feature. 



HABITAT. Southern Canada and eastern United States generally, 

 though of small growth in the extreme south; said to attain its greatest 

 development along the Alleghany Mountains . 

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