28 HOUGH'S AMERICAN WOODS. 



208. PRUNUS MOLLIS, WALP.* 

 WOOLLY-LEAF BITTER CHERRY. 



Ger., Haarigblattrige Kirsche ; Fr., Cerisier d feuilles velues ; Sp., 

 Cerezo de hojas pelosas. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS : Leaves 1-3 in. long, obovate-oblong to oblong-lanceo- 

 late, mostly acutisti at apex, crenate-serrulate, gradually narrowing to the short 

 pubescent petiole and usually furnished at base with one or more pairs of conspicu- 

 ous dark glands, dark green and nearly glabrous above at maturity, paler and 

 woolly-pubescent beneath ; stipules pectinate ; branchlets slender, pale pubescent, 

 reddish. Flowers opening when the leaves are about half grown, \ in. or less in 

 diameter, in pubescent 5-10-flowered corymbs, 1 in. or somewhat more in length, 

 with slender pedicels ; calyx pubescent, turbinate, lobes short, entire, obtuse at 

 apex, reflexed ; petals white, obovate, concave, with short claws about 2 .lines in 

 length ; stamens with glabrous filaments ; pistil with glabrous and sometimes 

 glandular style and capitate stigma. Fruit (ripening from June to August) is a 

 subglobose drupe, | in. or more in diameter, dark red when ripe, with very bitter 

 flesh and ovoid doubly pointed pit carinate on one edge. 



(The specific name, mollis, the Latin for soft, refers to the soft pubescence 

 which covers the new growths and under surface of the leaves.) 



The Woolly -leaf Cherry is a tree sometimes attaining the height of 

 30 or 40ft. (10 m.) in most favorable forest growth, with trunk 12-18 

 in. (0.40 m.) in diameter, vested in a smooth dark brown bark marked 

 with light gray horizontal bands and patches and finally peeling up 

 horizontally in rolls and curls and tearing off around the trunk. 



HABITAT. The Woolly -leaf Cherry is found in the coast region 

 of British Columbia, in western Washington and Oregon and at least 

 on the Santa Lucia and San Bernardino mountains of southern Cali- 

 fornia. It reaches its greatest development on Vancouver Island and 

 in the Puget Sound region. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood rather light and hard, not strong, 

 of close grain, with fine medullary rays and susceptible of a smooth 

 satiny polish. It is of a yellow-brown color with a lighter sap-wood 

 occupying about ten annual rings. Specific Gravity, 0.4502; Per- 

 centage of Ash, 0.21; Relative Approximate Fuel Value, 0.4493; 

 Coefficient of Elasticity, 86055; Modulus of Rapture, 679; Resist- 

 ance to Longitudinal Pressure, 460; Resistance to Indentation, 80; 

 Weight of a Cubic Foot in Pounds, 28.06. 



USES. We believe little use is made of this tree as it is uncommon 

 in size large enough to be of commercial importance though its wood 

 possesses excellent Dualities. It is occasionally planted as an .orna- 

 mental shade tree in northwestern cities. Its bitter fruit was formerly 

 an article of food with the Indians. 



* Prunus emarginata, var.' mollis, Brewer. 

 Prunus emarginata villosa, Sudworth. 



