488 



The Plums and Cherries 



broadest cither above or below the middle, pointed or tapering at the apex, 

 rounded or narrowed, with 2 glands at the base, margined by small pointed teeth, 

 dark green and smooth above, paler, smooth or slightly hairy on the yellowish 

 midrib beneath; the leaf-stalk is short and slender. The flowers, appearuig before 

 the leaves, from February to April, are 1.5 cm. across, in lateral, nearly stalkless, 

 3- or 4-flowered umbels, on smooth, slender stalks 1.5 to 2 cm. long; the calyx- 

 tube is broadly obconic, its lobes sharp, triangular-ovate, hairy on the inner surface; 

 the petals are nearly orbicular; the filaments and pistil are smooth. The fruit 

 ripens from June to September, is globose, 1.2 to 1.5 cm. in diameter, black, with a 

 light-colored bloom; the skin is thick and tough, the flesh thick and sour; the 

 stone is nearly globular, plumxp, acute at both ends, sHghtly wrinkled, prominently 

 ridged on one edge and shghtly furrowed at the other. 



The fruit of the Black sloe is largely gathered from wild trees for sale in the 

 markets of the south, and is made into pies, jams, and jclHes. 



The wood is hard, close-grained and dark red-brown; its specific gravity is 

 about 0.82. 



2. TEXAN SLOE 



Prunus tarda Sargent 



This small tree of open woods and thickets in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas 

 reaches a maximum height of 8 meters, with a trunk diameter of 6 dm. 



The branches are widely spreading; the bark is 1.5 to 2 cm. thick, shallowly 

 fissured and broken into small scaly ridges of a light red-brown color; the slender 



twigs are hairy and green at first, soon be- 

 coming reddish brown and glossy, and finally 

 red-brown and duU; the winter buds are 

 small, narrow and sharp-pointed. The leaves 

 are firm, oblong to obovate, 3.5 to 8 cm. 

 long, sharp or taper-pointed, gradually nar- 

 rowed, rounded or wedge-shaped at the base, 

 finely toothed, with glandular tipped teeth, 

 yellowish green and smooth above, more or 

 less hairy along the yellowish midrib and 

 principal veins beneath; the leaf-stalk is 

 densely hair}'. The flowers open in early 

 spring, are 2 cm. across, in stemless umbels 

 of 2 or 3 flowers, on slender, smooth pedicels 

 about 2 cm. long; the calyx-tube is obconic, 

 its lobes entire, acute, and hairy on both sur- 

 faces; the petals are oblong, clawed, rounded 

 and erose at the apex; the filaments and pistil are smooth. The fruit ripens in 

 the late autumn, is broadly oblong to subglobose, 10 to 12 mm. long, varying in 

 color from yellow, red, and blue to purple and black; skin thick and tough, flesh 

 thick, rather sour; the stone is ovoid, slightly flattened, much wrinkled and sharply 



Fig. 445. Texan Sloe. 



