Texas Cherry 



505 



toothed on the margin, bright green and sHghtly 

 hairy above, pale and hairy beneath; the stout 

 leaf-stalk is i to 2 cm. long, with 2 glands 

 near the base of the leaf-blade, and haiiy when 

 young. The flowers are in rather dense hairy 

 or smooth racemes 7 to 10 cm. long; the calyx 

 is somewhat glandular, its lobes short and ob- 

 tuse; petals white, orbicular, about 5 mm. long. 

 The fruit is globose, 8 to 10 mm. in diameter, 

 purpHsh or red; the flesh is thin, sweet and 

 edible when fully ripe. 



The wood is hard, close-grained, grayish 

 brown; its specific gravity is about 0.70. It 

 takes a fine poHsh, and is used for cabinet 

 work. The bark is used in medicine like 

 that of the Eastern wild cherry, Padus serotina, 

 and the fruit used for food. 



Fig. 465. Columbian Wild Cherry. 



4. TEXAS CHERRY Padus eximia Small 



Prunus eximia Small 



A beautiful tree occurring in the river valleys of southern Texas, where it 

 reaches a maximum height of 26 meters. 



The branches are loosely spreading, forming a round-headed tree; the twigs 



are slender, smooth, red-bro\Mi to gray- 

 brown. The leaves are rather thin, 

 ovate to oblong, lanceolate or oval, 3 to 

 8 cm. long, blunt or somewhat bluntly 

 taper- pointed, rounded, with 2 glands 

 at the base, margined with apprcssed 

 sharp teeth, bright green above, pale 

 green beneath, smooth on both surfaces; 

 the slender leaf-stalk is i to 1.5 cm. 

 long. The flowers, appearing in April, 

 are 10 to 12 mm. across, in drooping 

 racemes 5 to 7 cm. long; the pedicels are 

 club-shaped, smooth, 4 to 8 mm. long; 

 the calyx-tube is obconic, the short lobes 

 broader than long; the white petals are 

 orbicular to ovate. The fruit ripens in 



Fig. 466. Texas Cherry. 



August, is globose, purple, 8 to 10 mm. in diameter, the persistent calyx and fila- 

 ments adhering to its base; flesh sweet; stone globular, pointed at the apex. 

 This Cherry is often eaten by children, sometimes with injurious efifects. 



