566 TREES OF NORTH AMERICA 



ripening from the end of August to early October, subglobose to short-oblong, rounded at 

 the ends, dark purple-red with a slight glaucous bloom, Ij'-l^' long and \'-\\' in diameter, 

 with thick succulent flesh; stone smooth obovoid to nearly circular, turgid, unsymmetric, 

 narrowed and rounded at base, rounded or short-pointed at apex, ridged on the rounded 

 dorsal edge with a broad thin ridge, thin, less rounded and grooved on the ventral edge, 

 4'-!' long and about \' wide. 



A tree from 20-25 high, with a trunk sometimes 8' -10' in diameter, stout branches 

 forming an open irregular head, and slender glabrous branchlets light orange-brown, very 

 lustrous and marked by dark lenticels during their first winter and dull gray-brown the 

 following year. Winter-buds ovoid, acute, glabrous, \' long. Bark dark, nearly 

 black or light gray, exfoliating in platelike scales on young stems and large branches, 

 becoming rough and deeply furrowed on old trunks. 



Distribution. Open woods on rich alluvial bottom-lands, upland prairies and hillsides: 

 southeastern Kansas (near Parsons, Labette County), through Arkansas to western Okla- 

 homa (Navina, Logan County, Minca, Grady County), western Louisiana, northern and 

 eastern Texas to the valley of the San Antonio River, ranging westward in Texas over the 

 Edwards Plateau and to Brown and Palo Pinto Counties; in West Feliciana Parish, eastern 

 Louisiana; in Coahuila and Nuevo Leon. 



Passing into the following varieties: 



Prunus mexicana var. reticulata Sarg. Differing in its thicker leaves more often nar- 

 rowed at base, with more prominent reticulate veinlets, pubescent pedicels, globose fruit 

 ripening late in September or in October, w r ith thin, bitter, astringent flesh and dark deeply 

 furrowed bark. 



Distribution. Uplands and along the margins of river bottoms; neighborhood of Deni- 

 son and Sherman, Grayson County, northern Texas. 



Prunus mexicana var. polyandra Sarg. 



Differing in the narrowed base of the leaves, the more numerous stamens, in its earlier 

 ripening fruit, with an obovoid compressed stone pointed at apex and gradually narrowed 

 and acute at base. 



Distribution. Rich w T oods near Fulton, Hempstead County, Arkansas. 



Prunus mexicana var. fultonensis Sarg. 



Differing in its thinner leaves pubescent below over the whole surface, and in its smaller 

 dark bluish-purple fruit, ripening in June, with thin flesh and a compressed stone pointed at 

 apex and gradually narrowed and acute at base. 



Distribution. Rich woods near Fulton, Hempstead County, Arkansas. 



8. Prunus alleghaniensis Porter. Sloe. 



Leaves lanceolate to oblong-ovate, often long-pointed, finely and sharply serrate with 

 glandular teeth, and furnished at base with 2 large rather conspicuous glands, when they 

 unfold covered with soft pubescence, and at maturity puberulous on the upper surface, and 

 glabrous with the exception of a few hairs in the axils of the veins, or covered, especially 

 along the broad midrib and conspicuous veins, with rufous pubescence on the lower surface, 

 rather thick and firm in texture, dark green above and paler below, 2'-3|' long and f'-li' 

 wide; petioles slender, grooved, pubescent or puberulous, |' |' in length. Flowers appear- 

 ing in May with the unfolding of the leaves, \' in diameter, on slender puberulous pedicels 

 \'-\' long, in 2-4-flowered umbels; calyx-tube narrow-obconic, pubescent or puberulous 

 on the outer surface, the lobes ovate-oblong, rounded at apex, scarious on the margins, and 

 coated with pale tomentum on the inner surface; petals rounded at apex, contracted at base 

 into a short claw, turning pink in fading. Fruit ripening the middle of August, on stout 

 puberulous pedicels, subglobose or slightly oval to obovoid, \'-\' in diameter, with thick 

 rather tough dark reddish-purple skin covered with a glaucous bloom, and yellow juicy aus- 

 tere'flesh; stone thin-walled, turgid, two thirds as thick as broad, \'-\' long, pointed at the 

 ends, ridged on the ventral suture, and slightly grooved on the dorsal suture. 



A slender tree, occasionally 18-20 high, with a trunk sometimes 6'-8' in diameter, divid- 



