PRUNU8— PLUM AND CIIEiJllY. 135 



ROSACEiC. 



Character nf (he Order. — Herbs, Hhnihs, or trees, with nltorimto, stipuliito 

 leaves and re^'ulivr flowers. Sepals ooimaouly 5, rarely less or more, 

 united at tlio base, often appeariuj- double by a row of bract lots outside ; 

 petals as many as the sepals, rarely waiitin;j, inserted with the stamens 

 upon the calyx ; stamens numerous, rarely few ; ))istil 1 or many, <listinet, 

 or in the pisar tribe united and combined with the calyx-tube. I'ruits ex- 

 ceedingly varied. 



A very large and important order, represented iu all parts of the globe. 

 Very many of the species produce valuable fruits, an«l but few are pos- 

 sessed of deleterious properti(rs. Autliorities (blfer widely as to the jtroper 

 limitati(}ns of the order Torrey and Gray ("Flora of North America") in- 

 clude in it four sub-orders, namely : Ckri/suhitluned', Ami/i/f/a/<'(i% Jiasacea; 

 aud Fomete. The tirst-namod sub-order comprises no medicintd species. 



AMYGI)ALE/E. 



Character of the Snti-Ordcr. — Calyx entirely free from the (usually) 

 solitary ovary, deciduous. Stylo terminal or neaily so. I'ruit a drupe 

 (stone-fruit), 1 seeded or rarely 2-seeded. Trees or shrubs, with simple 

 leaves, the bark exuding gum, aud the bark, leaves, and kernels yielding 

 the peculiar llavor of prussic acid (Gray). This section comprises all 

 the plants of the order which possess noxious or poisonous properties, 

 and iu all the poisonous principle is the same — prussic acid — not existing 

 as such in the leaves, bark, and kernels, but produced, as will l)e seen 

 later on, by infusion in waL'r. It is represented in North America by the 

 genus 



PRUNUS.— Pl.UM AN-n CUEUUY. 



Character of the Gen an. — Calyx 5-cleft, urn-shaped, bell-shapod, or 

 tubular-obconical, deciduous after liowcring. Petals 5, di,.inct, spread- 

 ing, inserted with the stamens upon the calyx-tube. Stamens 1.") to 20. 

 Ovary solit;iry, 2-ovuled. Fruit fleshy, with a bony stone. Connnonly 

 small trees or shrubs, with edible fruit. 



Prunus serotina Ehrhart(6VrasHS serollna Lol,«eleur, Cerasus Virgin- 

 iaua Michaux, Prunus Virgin iana Miller). — Wild Clicrrg, Wild lUuck Cherrij. 



Dcfivriplion. — Petals small, ohovate, (]uickly d(Mndu(>us. Fruit about the 

 size of a pea, nearly black when ripe, and of a slightly bitter taste. 



In favorable locations a large forest tree. Leaves 5 to G inches long, 

 lanceolate-oblong, acuminate, serrate with short incurved teeth, some- 

 what coriaceous, tlark shining green. Flowers in long terminal racemes, 

 appearing in June after the tree is in full leaf. 



Habitat. — Canada to Florida and westward ; very common. 



