ROSACE^E 



57,5 



Passing into var. deinwsa f. pachyrrachis Sarg. (l j adnx ralida Woot. & Stanl.) differing 

 in the cuneate or rounded base of the leaves, villose pubescent on the midrib and veins be- 

 low, in the stouter pubescent radhis and pedicels, and in the pubescent branchlets usually 

 becoming glabrous at the end of their second season. 



Distribution. Common on the mountains of southwestern New Mexico (Sierra County) 

 and rarely in southern California. 



15. Prunus serotina Ehrh. Wild Black Cherry. Rum Cherry. 

 Prunus eximia Small. 



Leaves oval, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, gradually or sometimes abruptly acuminate at 

 apex, cuneate at base, finely serrate with appressed incurved callous teeth, and furnished 

 at the very base with 1 or more dark red conspicuous glands, when they unfold slightly 



Fig. 528 



hairy below 7 on the midrib, and often bronze-green, and at maturity glabrous, thick and 

 firm, subcoriaceous, dark green and very lustrous above, paler below-, 2'-6' long and I'-l^' 

 wide, with a thin conspicuous midrib rarely furnished toward the base w ith a fringe of rusty 

 tomentum and slender veins; in the autumn turning clear bright yellow before falling; peti- 

 oles slender, f'-f in length; stipules lanceolate, acuminate, glandular-serrate, %'-%' in 

 length, early deciduous. Flowers appearing when the leaves are about half grown, from 

 the end of March in Texas to the first week of June in the valley of the St. Lawrence River. 

 in diameter, on slender glabrous or puberulous pedicels from the axils of minute scarious 

 caducous bracts, in erect or ultimately spreading narrow many-flowered racemes 4'-6' 

 long; calyx-tube saucer-shaped, glabrous or puberulous, the lobes short, ovate-oblong, 

 acute, slightly laciniate on the margins, reflexed after the flowers open, persistent on the 

 ripe fruit; petals broad-obovate, pure white. Fruit ripening from June to October, in 

 drooping racemes, depressed-globose, slightly lobed, %'-%' in diameter, dark red when fully 

 grown, almost black when ripe, w r ith a thin skin, and dark purple juicy flesh of a pleasant 

 vinous flavor; stone oblong-obovoid thin-walled, about \ r long, acute at apex, gradually 

 narrowed at base, broadly ridged on the ventral suture and acute on the dorsal suture. 



A tree, with bitter aromatic bark and leaves, sometimes 100 high, with a trunk 4-5 c in 

 diameter, small horizontal branches forming a narrow oblong head, and slender rather rigid 

 glabrous branchlets at first pale green or bronze color, soon becoming bright red or dark 

 brown tinged with red, red-brown or gray-brown and marked by minute pale lenticels dur- 

 ing their first winter, and bright red the following year; usually much smaller and occasion- 



