Trees of New York State 259 



ROSAGEAE 



Pruiuis iiif^ra Ait. 



Canada Plum, Red Plum 



Habit — A shrub or occasionally a small, bushy tree 20-30 feet in height 

 ■\vith a trunk diameter of ~)-6 inches. Bole short, dividing 5-6 feet above 

 the ground into a munber of stout, ascending limbs to form a low-spread- 

 ing, rounded top of many rigid, more or less contorted braiiclies and zigzag 

 twigs. 



Leaves — Alternate, oblong-ovate to obovate, 3-5 inches long, ] "/l.-H inches 

 Avide, abruptly acuminate at the apex, rounded or somewhat cuneate at 

 the base, unequally crenulate-serrate with gland-tipped teeth, at maturity 

 thick, firm, dull dark green and glabrous above, paler, somewhat pubescent 

 and AAith prominent midrib beneath, borne on stout, usually biglanduJar 

 petioles V^-i inch long. 



Flowers — Appearing in April or May before the leaves, perfect, %-l inch 

 broad, borne on red pedicels %-% of an inch long in .3-5-flowered. lateral 

 glabrous umbels. Calyx-tube urn-shaped, dark red without, Dngnt red 

 within, 5-lobed, the lobes lanceolate, glandular-toothed, usually somewhat 

 pubescent above, reflexed after anthesis. Petals 5, white fading to pink 

 with age, orbicular-obovate, rounded and somewhat erose at the apex, 

 short-clawed at the base, inserted -with the stamens on the calyx-tube. 

 Stamens about 30, wdth long, filiform filaments and small, oval anthers. 

 Pistil green, glabrous, consisting of a 1-celled ovary inserted in the bottom 

 of the calyx-tube, a filiform style, and broad, simple stigma. 



Fruit — An oval or oblong-oval, slightly glaucous, thick-skinned, orange-red 

 drupe, 1-1^ inches long, ripening during the latter half of August. 

 Flesh yellow, sour, adhering to the stone. Stone oval, thick-walled, com- 

 pressed, slightly grooved on one side. Seed ovate, light brown, compressed. 



Winter characters — Twigs rather stout, slightly zigzag, glabrous or some- 

 what puberulous, dark reddish brown and partly covered with a grayish, 

 evanescent skin. Lateral spinescent spurs usually present. Terminal bud 

 absent. Lateral buds conical, acute, chestnut-bro-\\ii, about Ve of an 

 inch long. Mature bark thin, light grayish brown, at first smooth and 

 marked with prominent, horizontally elongated lenticels. soon splitting 

 and curling back in thick-layered plates exposing the darker, inner scaly 

 bark. 



Habitat — A "weed" tree preferring moist sites along fence rows, abandoned 

 pastures, and in open glades and the margin of woods. Thrives on lime- 

 stone outcrops. 



Range — Newfoundland westward through southern Canada to Minnesota, 

 southward into New England, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and 

 Iowa. Zones A, B, and C. 



Uses — Occasionally cultivated for its showy flowers in southern Canada and 

 the northeastern states. Several varieties of cultivated plums have been 

 derived from this species by horticulturists. 



