PRUNUS. XLVill. ROSACES. 241 



globose. A smaller tree than the preceding, much cultivated. Trunk 15 20f 

 high, with a roundish, compact head. Branches slender. Leaves 2 3' long, 

 f as wide, unequally serrate, on petioles } as long, with 2 glands. Flowers 

 white, expanding sooner than the leaves, 2 or 3 from each bud, on pedicels I' 

 long. Fruit large, various shades of red, acid or subacid. Apr. In Prince's 

 Catalogue, 1844, these two species are transposed (perhaps by mistake). About 

 125 varieties are there published, of which 50 belong to the present species. 



2. PRUNUS. Tourn. 



Calyx 5-cleft, regular, deciduous ; petals much spreading ; stamens 

 15 30 ; ovary 2-ovuled ; drupe ovate, fleshy, smooth, generally cov- 

 ered with a glaucous bloom ; nucleus compressed, smooth. Small 

 trees or shrubs. Lvs. convolute in vernation. 



1. P. AMERICANA. Marsh. (Cerasus nigra. Loisel.) Red Plum. Yellow Plum. 

 Somewhat thorny ; tos. oblong-oval and obovate, abruptly and strongly 



acuminate, doubly serrate ; drupes roundish -oval, reddish-orange, with a thick, 

 coriaceous skin. Hedges and low woods, U. S. and Can.-, often cultivated for 

 its sweet, pleasant fruit, which is about the size of the damson. Shrub 10 15f 

 high. Leaves 2 3' long, f as wide, petioles j J' long, mostly with 2 glands at 

 the summit. Flowers preceding the leaves, 3- 4 in each of the numerous um- 

 bels, white. Drupes nearly destitute of bloom, ripe in Aug. Flowers in May. 



2. P. INSITITIA. Wild Bullace Tree. 



Lvs. ovate-lanceolate or oblanceolate, tapering to the petiole, acute, serrate, 

 pubescent-villous beneath ; branches somewhat spiny ; fls. naked, generally in 

 pairs ; cal. segments entire, obtuse ; pet. obovate ; fruit globular. A European 

 shrub or small tree, 15 20f high, naturalized " on the banks of Charles River, 

 in Cambridge, road-sides at Cohasset, and other places in the vicinity of Bos- 

 ton." Emerson, Rep. trees and shrubs of Mass. The leaves and flowers are 

 from separate, but adjacent buds, the former 1 !' long, with short petioles. 

 Petals white. Fruit black, covered with a yellowish bloom. 



3. P. MARITIMA. Wang. (P. littoralis. Bw.} Beach Plum. 



Lvs. oval or obovate, slightly acuminate, sharply serrate ; petioles with 2 

 glands ; umbels few-flowered ; pedicels short, pubescent ; fr. nearly round. A 

 small shrub, abundant on the sea-beach, particularly on Plum Island ! at the 

 mouth of Merrimac river. Very branching. Leaves 1 3' long, downy-canes- 

 cent beneath when young, becoming at length nearly smooth. Flowers white, 

 2 5 in each of the numerous umbels. Fruit globular, eatable, red or purple, 

 little inferior in size to the common garden plum, ripe in Aug., Sept. FU in May. 



4. P. SPINOSA. Black Thorn. Sloe. Branches thorny ; fls. solitary ; cal. cam- 

 panulate, lobes obtuse, longer than the tube ; Irs. pubescent beneath, obovate- 

 elliptical, varying to ovate, sharply and doubly dentate ; drupe globose. Hedge- 

 rows and cultivated grounds, Penn. Pursh. A thorny shrub, 12 15f high, na- 

 tive of Europe. 



5. P. CHICASA. Michx. (Cerasus. DC.} CMckasaio Plum. Branches spi- 

 nose ; Ivs. oblong-lanceolate or oblanceolate, glandular-serrulate, acute, nearly 

 smooth; umbels 2 3-flowered, pedicels short, smooth; drupe globose. A fine 

 fruit-shrub, native of Arkansas, &c., often cultivated. Height 8 12f, with a 

 bushy head. Leaves 1 2' long, I as wide, petioles about J' long. Flowers 

 small, white, expanding with the leaves, in Apr. Fruit red, or yellowish-red, 

 tender and succulent, ripe in July. There are several varieties. J 



6. P. DOMESTICA. Common Garden Plum. Damson PI. Branches unarmed ; 

 Irs. oval or ovate-lanceolate, acute ; pedicels nearly solitary ; drupe globose, oval, 

 ovoid and obovoid. This long cultivated tree or shrub is said to be a native of 

 Italy. It rarely exceeds 15f in height. Leaves quite variable in form, 1 3' 

 long, | as wide, sometimes obtuse, on petioles about 1' in length. Flowers 

 white, generally but one from a bud, expanding while the leaves are but half 

 grown, in Apr. and May. Fruit black, varying through many colors to white, 

 covered with a rich glaucous bloom, ripe in Aug. About 150 varieties are pub- 

 lished in the catalogues of American gardeners. 



