ROSE FAMILY 125 



thick, oval to lanceolate-ovate, acute or taper-pointed at the apex, 

 finely serrate with calloused teeth, smooth above, downy on the veins 

 beneath. Racemes terminal, long and spreading. Flowers white. 

 Fruit globose, about \ in. in diameter, purplish-black. In rich woods. 

 Wood much used in cabinet-making.* 



2. P. virginiana L. CHOKECHERRY. A shrub or small tree, 5-20 ft. 

 high. Leaves thin, oval or obovate, pale, pointed, sharply serrate. Flow- 

 ers small, white, in short racemes. Fruit bright red, turning at length 

 to dark crimson, very puckery until fully ripe. River banks and thickets. 



3. P. pennsylvanica L. f. WILD RED CHERRY. A tree 20-30 ft. 

 high, with light, reddish-brown bark. Leaves oval or oblong-lanceo- 

 late, pointed, finely serrate, with both sides green, smooth and shin- 

 ing. Flowers long-pediceled, many in a cluster, the clusters lateral, 

 leafless. Fruit globose, very small, light red, with thin sour pulp 

 and globular stone. In rocky woods. 



4. P. Besseyi Bailey. WESTERN SAND CHERRY. A shrub 1-4 ft. 

 high, often with spreading and prostrate branches. Leaves usually 

 elliptic or oblong-elliptic, with appressed teeth. Flowers sessile in 

 lateral umbels, \ in, to nearly \ in. in diameter, opening with the 

 leaves. Fruit black, mottled, or yellowish, ^-f in. in diameter, bitter 

 and astringent. Prairies W. 



5. P. Cerasus L. CHERRY. Often becoming a large tree. Leaves 

 oval or ovate, acute or taper-pointed at the apex, rounded at the 

 base, irregularly serrate-dentate, smooth on both sides, resinous 

 when young. Flowers in lateral umbels, white ; pedicels long and 

 slender. Fruit globose, red or black. Cultivated from Europe. This 

 is the species from which most of our sour cultivated varieties have 

 been developed.* 



B. Stone oval, compressed ; fruit smooth when ripe. Branches often 

 spiny. (Plums.) 



6. P. angustifolia Marsh. CHICKASAW PLUM. A small tree with 

 spiny branches. Leaves lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, acute at the 

 apex, usually obtuse at the base, finely and sharply serrate, rather 

 thin, smooth. Flowers in lateral, sessile umbels, pedicels short. 

 Calyx smooth. Fruit yellowish-red, subglobose, skin thin, stone only 

 slightly compressed. In old fields S.* 



7. P. americana Marsh. WILD PLUM. A small tree, bark thick 

 and rough, branches spiny. Leaves ovate or obovate, acuminate at 

 the apex, rounded or cordate at the base, sharply serrate, rather 

 thick, downy beneath ; petioles glandular. Flowers in lateral, sessile 

 umbels, appearing with or before the leaves ; pedicels |-| in. long, 

 flowers -f in. in diameter. Calyx downy within. Fruit globose, red 

 or yellow, ^-1 in. in diameter. Common in woods.* 



