ROSE FAMILY 



ROSACES ROSE FAMILY 



Prunus serotina, Ehrh. 



White Wild Cherry, 



Wild Black Cherry, 



May- June Wild Rum Cherry, 



Cabinet Cherry, 



Fruit ripe Whiskey Cherry. 



August-September 



Prunus: for derivation see maritima. 



Serotina: Latin, meaning produced late in the season. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: dry, sandy soil, in the open or 

 among pine trees. 



THE TREE: scraggly, sometimes twelve feet high, but 

 usually much lower; the bark rough and black-grey. 



THE LEAVES: always narrow and seldom spread out flat; 

 alternate; oval, through lanceolate to ovate; with no hairs, 

 shining above; hairless or with short, soft hairs along the 

 veins beneath; acute at the apex; narrowed or rounded at 

 the base; the margins saw-toothed, the teeth turning 

 inward. 



THE FLOWERS: small, in elongated racemes, which droop 

 more or less at the ends of leafy branches; five petals. 



THE FRUIT: a globose drupe, less than one-half inch in 

 diameter, dark purple or black, "slightly bitter, but with 

 a pleasant vinous flavour." 



This is a low and scraggly tree, with rough, black- 

 grey branches and narrow shining leaves, pointed at the 

 end, and usually badly eaten. It bears long, loose sprays 

 of white flowers in their season, that are later succeeded 

 by would-be sprays of small dark-purple or black fruit, 

 of which only a few usually are left in the drooping clusters. 

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