112 BOSACE^E. (ROSE FAMILY.) 



1. PRtiNUS, Tourn. (PLUM.) Drupe usually with a bloom, the stone fat- 

 tened, or at least under than thick: leaves convolute in the bud,flcwers more or less 

 preceding the leaves, from lateral buds; the pedicels few or several, in simple umbel- 

 like clusters, 



1. P. Americana, Marsh. (WILD YELLOW or RED PLUM.) Leaves 

 ovate or somewhat obovate, conspicuously pointed, coarsely or doubly serrate, very 

 veiny, glabrous when mature ; fruit nearly destitute of bloom, roundish-oval, yel- 

 low, orange, or red, ' - ' in diameter, with the turgid stone more or less acute 

 on both margins, or in cultivated states 1' or more in diameter, having a flat- 

 tened stone with broader margins (pleasant-tasted, but with a tough and acerb 

 skin). Open ground,common. May. Tree or bush thorny, 8 - 20 high. 



2. P. maritima, Wang. (BEACH PLUM.) Low and straggling (2- 

 5) ; leaves ovate or oval, finely serrate, softly pubescent underneath ; pedicels short, 

 pubescent; fruit globular, purple or crimson with a bloom ('- 1' in diameter), 

 the stone very turgid, acute on one edge, rounded and minutely grooved on the 

 other. (P. littoralis, Bigelow.) Varies, when at some distance from the coast, 

 with the leaves smoother and thinner, and the fruit smaller. (P. pygmaea, 

 Willd.) Sea-beach and the vicinity, Massachusetts to New Jersey and Vir- 

 ginia. April, May. 



3. P. Chicasa, Michx. (CHICKASAW PLUM.) Stem scarcely thorny 

 ( 8 -15 high) ; leaves nearly lanceolate, finely serrulate, glabrous, little veiny; 

 fruit globular, red, nearly destitute of bloom ('-' in diameter^); the ovoid 

 stone almost as thick as wide, rounded at both sutures, one of them minutely 

 grooved. Kentucky and Illinois (probably not indigenous) and southwestward : 

 naturalized in some places. April. 



4. P. 8PIN68A, L. (SLOE. BLACK THORN.) Branches thorny; leaves 

 obovate-oblong or ovate-lanceolate, sharply serrate, at length glabrous; pedicels gla- 

 brous ; fruit small, globular, black with a bloom, the stone turgid, acute on 

 one edge. Var. INSIT^TIA (BULLACE-PLUM), is less spiny, the pedicels 

 and lower side of the leaves pubescent. (P. insititia, L.) Road-sides and 

 waste places, E. New England, Penn., c. (Adv. from Eu.) 



$2. CERASUS, Tourn. (CHERRY.) Drupe destitute of bloom; the stone 

 globular and marginless; leaves folded (conduplicate) in the bud: inflorescence a* 

 in $ 1. 



5. P. pumila, L. (DWARF CHERRY.) Smooth, depressed and trail- 

 ing (6' 18' high) ; leaves obovate-lanceolate, tapering to the base, somewhat toothed 

 near the apex, pale underneath ; flowers 2-4 together ; fruit ovoid, dark red. 

 Rocks or sandy banks, Massachusetts northward to Wisconsin, and south to 

 Virginia along the mountains. May. 



6. P. Pennsylvania, L. (WiLD RED CHERRY.) Leaves oblong- 

 lanceolate, pointed, finely and sharply serrate, shining, green and smooth both sides , 

 flowers many in a cluster, on long pedicels ; fruit globose, light red. Rocky 

 woods; common, especially northward. May. Tree 20-3C high, with 

 light red-brown bark, and very small fruit with thin and sour flesh. 



