BLACK OR DARK PURPLE 201 



what bitter has a pleasant flavor. August, 

 September. 



Leaves. — The dark green glossy leaves, with 

 their whitened under surfaces, are alternate, 

 and usually ovate or oval-lanceolate. The apex 

 is pointed and the base rounded or narrowed. 

 The teeth are so incurved as to appear blunt. 

 The upper surface of the leaf stem is grooved 

 and bears two or more small glands near the 

 base of the leaf. Yellow is the autumnal color. 



Flowers. — The small white flowers grow in 

 long, loose racemes. May, June. 



The tree sometimes grows to a height of 

 eighty or ninety feet. The branches and bark 

 of the young trees are reddish brown. The 

 trunks of the older trees are almost black and 

 the bark is scaly. The wood is hard and has a 

 beautiful close grain. It is red and darkens 

 with age, does not shrink nor warp, and is 

 used for cabinet work and the inside finishings 

 of houses. It is becoming scarce. The cherries 

 are nsed in flavoring brandies and other intoxi- 

 cants. Both bark and fruit are ingredients in 

 certain medicines. The tree is common through- 

 out the eastern part of the United States and 

 extends west to Dakota, Kansas, and Texas. 



