257. PRUNUS AMERICANA WILD PLUM. 27 



The American Wild Plum, which is the name applied to this particular 

 species of the native American Plums of greatest distribution, is a small 

 tree, generally with low broad top of stiff branches and slightly zigzag and 

 tome what spinous branchlets. When crowded by other trees it may attain 

 the height of 30 or 40 ft. (10 m.). The trunk is rarely more than 12 in. 

 (O.oO m.) in diameter, and is covered with a purplish brown bark rough 

 with thinnish elongated scales. 



HABITAT. From central New York westward to the eastern slopes of 

 the Rocky Mountains and southward to western Florida, southern Texas and 

 the mountains of northeastern Mexico. It inhabits preferably moist, rich 

 low-lands, and in the Southern States is even found in localities subject to 

 annual inundation. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, and 

 of a rich brown color sometimes streaked with purple and with thin, lighter 

 sap-wood. Specific Gravity, 0.7215; Percentage of Ash, 0.18; Relative 

 Approximate Fuel Vaule, 0.7202; Coefficient of Elasticity, 82659; Modulus 

 of Rupture, 864; Resistance to Longitudinal Pressure, 588; Resistance to 

 Indentation, 213; Weight of a Cubic Foot in Pounds, 44.96. 



USES. The fruit of the American Plum is esteemed as one of our best 

 native fruits, though differing considerably in quality in different trees. 

 Some of the best forms have been introduced into cultivation under special 

 names. Such are the De Soto, Louisa, Itasca, Minnetonka, etc. 



ORDER EBICACE-ffi : HEATH FAMILY. 



Leaves commonly alternate, but sometimes opposite and rarely whorled, without stipules. 

 Flowers regular, symmetrical, perfect and 4-5 numerous; corolla present and lobed or of 

 distinct petals: stamens as many as the lobes of the corolla, or twice as many, free from 

 it. but inserted with it on an annular disk; anthers usually introrse, commonly appendaged 

 and opening by terminal chinks or pores, pollen compound, of 4 united grains (except in 

 a few herbaceous species, the Monotropce) ; pistil with single style, superior or inferior 

 ovary, having as many cells as the lobes of the corolla, or rarely fewer. Fruit a berry, 

 drupe or capsule with small anatropous seeds having small embryo in fleshy albumen. 



A large family, mainly of shrubs, but a few trees and herbs, and quite various in 

 characters. 



GENUS VACCINIUM, L. 



Lrarfs alternate and mostly small. Flowers small, white or pink, with bibracteolate 

 pedicels, in axillary racemes or clusters or rarely solitary: calyx 3-5-lobed, valvate, per- 

 sistent and the tube adnate to the ovary; corolla gamopetalous, epigynous, mostly urn- 

 shaped or campanulate, 4-5-lobed, imbricated ; stamens twice as many as the lobes of the 

 corolla and inserted on its base under the edge of the thick disk; filaments short: anthers 

 awned on the back and cells prolonged upwards into tubes opening by terminal pores: 

 ovary 4-5 celled or imperfectly 8-10-celled : style filiform, erect, with terminal stigma: 

 ovules numerous, anatropous, attached to inner angle of the cell. Fruit a berry 4-5 or 



