ROSACE^E. (ROSE FAMILY.) 113 



3. PADUS, Mill. (CHERRY.) Drupe, frc. as in 2 : flowers in racemes 

 terminating the branches, developed after the leaves. 



7. P. Vilgiiiifma, L. (CHOKE-CHERRY.) Leaves oval, oblong, or obo- 

 vate, abruptly pointed, very sharply (often doubly) serrate with slender teeth, thin ; 

 racemes short and close ; petals roundish ; fruit red turning to dark crimson. 

 River-banks ; common, especially northward. May. A tall shrub, seldom a 

 tree, with grayish bark ; the fruit very austere and astringent till perfectly ripe. 

 (P. obovata, Bigelow. P. serotina, of many authors.) 



8. P. serotiiia, Ehrhart. (Wiu> BLACK CHERRY.) Leaves oblong or 

 lanceolate-oblong, taper-pointed, serrate with incurved short and callous teeth, thick ish, 

 shining above ; racemes elongated ; petals obovate ; fruit purplish-black. 

 Woods, common. A fine large tree, with reddish-brown branches, furnishing 

 valuable timber to the cabinet-maker. Fruit slightly bitter, but with a pleasant 

 vinous flavor. 



P. DOMESTICA, L., the CULTIVATED PLUM, is now deemed by the best 

 botanists to have sprung from the Sloe. 



P. ARMEN!ACA, L., the APRICOT, represents another subgenus of Prunus. 

 The PEACH belongs to a very closely related genus. 



P. AVIUM and P. CERASUS, L., of Europe, are the originals of the cultivated 

 Cherries. 



SUBORDER II. ROSACEJE PROPER. THE TRUE ROSE FAMILY. 



2. SPIRJEA, L. MEADOW-SWEET. 



Calyx 5-cleft, persistent. Petals 5, obovate, equal, imbricated in the bud. 

 Stamens 10-50. Pods (follicles) 3-12, several- (2 -15-) seeded. Flowers 

 white or rose-color, sometimes dicecious : rarely the parts are 4 instead of 5. 

 (Name probably from oTretpaw, to wind, alluding to the fitness of the plants to 

 be formed into garlands.) 



i 1. PHYSOCARPOS, Camb. Shrubs, with simple palmately-lol>ed leaves and 

 umbel-like corymbs : pods inflated and diverging when grown, 2 - ^-seeded. 



1. S. opulifolia, L. (NINE-BARK.) Leaves roundish, somewhat 3- 

 lobed and heart-shaped^ pods 3-5. Rocky river-banks. June. Shrub 

 4 10 high, with recurved branches and white flowers, succeeded by mem- 

 branaceous purplish pods : the old bark loose and separating in thin layers. 



\ 2. SPIRJEA PROPER. SJinibs, with simple leaves, the stipules obsolete: pids 

 (mostly 5) not inflated, several-seeded. 



2. S. COrym1>6sa, Raf. Nearly smooth (l-2high); leaves oval or 

 ovate, cut-toothed towards the apex ; corymbs large, flat, several times compound. 

 Alleghaniee of Penn., to Virginia and Kentucky. June. Flowers white. 



3. S. salicifolia, L. (COMMON MEADOW-SWEET.) Nearly smooth 

 (2 -3 high) ; leaves wedge-lanceolate, simply or doubly serrate ; flowers in a 

 crowded panicle ; pods smooth. TVet grounds: also cultivated. July 

 Flowers white or flesh -color. (Eu.) 



