Trees of New York State 265 



ROSAGEAE 



Prunus Persica (L.) Stokes. 



PEACH 



Habit — A small tree usmxlly about 20 feet in height with a trunk diameter 

 of 5-6 inches, occasionally 25-30 feet tall. Bole short, breaking up 2-4 

 feet from the ground into stout, ascending limbs and branches to form a 

 low, broad, globose crown. 



Leaves — - Alternate, lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate or oblanceolate, acuminate at 

 the apex, tapering at the base, sharply serrate, at maturity light green, 

 glabrous and lustrous above, paler and glabrous beneath, borne on stout 

 petioles V6~% of an inch long. 



Flowers — Appearing in April and May before the leaves, solitary, perfect, 

 1/2-2 inches broad, borne laterally on short pedicels from scaly buds 

 formed the previous season in the leaf-a:sil3. Calyx-tube cup-shaped, 

 pubescent within, 5-lobed, the lobes obovate, acute, purplish green. Petals 

 pink, oval, obtuse at the apex, short-clawed at the base, inserted with the 

 stamens on the calyx-tube. Stamens 20-30, with long slender filaments 

 and oval anthers. Pistil sessile, inserted at the base of the caly:x-tube, 

 consisting of a 1-celled pubescent ovary surmounted by a simple style 

 and small capitate stigma. 



Fruit — A short-stalked, globose, laterally grooved, velvety-tomentose, yellow- 

 ish green drupe 1-3 inches in diameter, maturing in late summer or early 

 autumn and becoming roseate or reddish pink. Flesh thick, aromatic, 

 mildly acidulous and sweet, adhering to or free from the stone. Stone 

 ovoid, laterally compressed, apiculate at one end, deeply wrinkled and 

 pitted. Seed aromatic, rather bitter, pale brown. 



Winter characters — Tmgs medium stout, glabrous, lustrous, pale punctate- 

 lenticellate, greenish or reddish purple where exposed to direct sunlight, 

 green below. Bruised twigs with the odor and taste of bitter almonds. 

 Flower- and leaf-buds separate. Leaf-buds ovate, obtuse, densely pale 

 woolly-tomentose, about Vtj of an inch long. Flower-buds stouter than 

 the leaf-buds, usually accessory and lateral to the leaf-buds. Mature 

 bark thin, dark reddish brovsoi, smooth aside from the prominent, hori- 

 zontally elongated lenticels, becoming rougher and scaly at the base of 

 the bole. 



Habitat — An "escape" in waste places along fences, high roads and about 

 the habitations of man, preferring protected sites where the climate is 

 ameliorated by the proximity of large bodies of water. 



Range — - Supposed originally to have been a native of eastern Asia but long 

 cultivated in North America for its fruit. The wild form has become 

 naturalized as an "escape" in eastern United States. Zones A and B. 



Uses — This species in its numerous varieties produces the peaches of com- 

 merce. Two well-marked strains, the "cling stones" and the "free 

 stones ' ' have been evolved. The fruit of the wild form is far inferior to 

 that of the cultivated forms. Double-flowered dwarf forms with con- 

 spicuous flowers, etc., are grown ornamentally. During the World War, 

 peach pits were used in the manufacture of gas masks. 



