ROSE FAMILY 



pale green or reddish green and smooth, lenticular, later reddish 

 brown, finally become red brown or gray brown. Inner bark has a. 

 pleasant and aromatic odor, bitter and aromatic to the taste. 



Wood. Light brown or red, darkening with exposure ; light, 

 strong, close-grained, susceptible of a fine polish. Of great value 

 in cabinet work and interior finish of houses, now becoming scarce. 

 Sp. gr., 0.5822 ; weight of cu. ft., 36.28 Ibs. 



Winter Biids. Chestnut brown, obtuse, one-half to two-thirds of 

 an inch long. When spring growth begins the inner scales enlarge 

 and become one-half to two-thirds of an inch in length. 



Leaves. Alternate, simple, oblong to lanceolate-oblong, two to 

 five inches long, an inch to an inch and a half broad, wedge-shaped 

 or rounded at base, serrate, edges often crinkled, gradually acumi- 

 nate or rarely rounded at apex. Feather-veined, midrib grooved 

 above, prominent beneath, primary veins slender. They come out 

 of the bud conduplicate, reddish green ; when full grown are deep 

 shining green above, paler beneath ; in autumn they turn a clear 

 bright yellow. Petioles slender, terete, often marked with dark red 

 glands. Stipules caducous. 



Flowers. May, June, when leaves are half grown. Perfect, white, 

 about one-fourth of an inch across, borne in narrow, many-flowered 

 racemes three to four inches long. 



Calyx. Cup-shaped tube, five-lobed, lobes obtuse, reflexed, per- 

 sistent, imbricate in bud. 



Corolla. Petals five, white, obovate, inserted on the calyx tube, 

 imbricate in bud. 



Stamens. Fifteen to twenty, inserted on the calyx tube with the 

 petals ; filaments thread-like ; anthers introrse, two-celled ; cells 

 opening longitudinally. 



Pistil. Ovary superior, one, set in the bottom of the calyx tube ; 

 stigma thick, club-shaped. 



Fruit. Drupe, depressed-globular, one-third to one-half inch in 

 diameter, shining black skin, dark purple juicy flesh. Calyx lobes 

 persistent on the fruit. August, September. Stone oblong-ovate ; 

 cotyledons thick and fleshy* 



Wild cherry, they grow in clusters like grapes, of the same bigness, blackish 

 red when ripe, and of a harsh taste. 



JOSSELYN. " New England Rarities." 



Prunus serotina is very generally known because of its cher- 

 ries. These cherries are flattened juicy globes the size of 

 large peas, with a shining black skin and dark purple flesh ; 

 borne in a somewhat straggling raceme. When ripe they are 

 slightly bitter with a pleasant vinous flavor and from the 

 standpoint of one who ate them in childhood delicious. When 



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