﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  STATE 
  BOTANIST 
  93 
  

  

  Prunus 
  nigra 
  Ait, 
  

  

  Meadowdale, 
  Helderberg 
  mountains, 
  and 
  various 
  places 
  in 
  Essex 
  

   county. 
  May. 
  

  

  This 
  wild 
  plum 
  has 
  commonly 
  been 
  considered 
  a 
  mere 
  form 
  or 
  

   variety 
  of 
  our 
  common 
  wild 
  red 
  plum, 
  Prunus 
  Americana. 
  But 
  it 
  

   seems 
  to 
  me 
  that 
  greater 
  accuracy 
  will 
  be 
  attained 
  and 
  the 
  purposes 
  

   of 
  science 
  will 
  be 
  better 
  subserved 
  if 
  it 
  is 
  kept 
  separate. 
  Both 
  specie's 
  

   occur 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Albany 
  and 
  present 
  noticeable 
  differences. 
  

   In 
  P. 
  nigra 
  the 
  flowers 
  are 
  rather 
  larger 
  and 
  sometimes, 
  at 
  least, 
  if 
  

   not 
  always, 
  the 
  petals 
  assume 
  a 
  pink 
  or 
  rosy 
  hue 
  with 
  advancing 
  age. 
  

   The 
  fruit 
  is 
  larger 
  and 
  its 
  stone 
  is 
  larger 
  and 
  more 
  compressed. 
  

  

  Amelanchier 
  oligocarpa 
  R(em, 
  

   Adirondack 
  mountains. 
  Why 
  this 
  plant 
  was 
  ever 
  reduced 
  to 
  the 
  

   rank 
  of 
  a 
  mere 
  variety 
  of 
  A. 
  Canadensis 
  is 
  more 
  than 
  I 
  can 
  clearly 
  

   understand. 
  It 
  differs 
  from 
  that 
  species 
  in 
  its 
  leaves, 
  flowers 
  and 
  

   fruit, 
  and 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  my 
  observation 
  goes, 
  in 
  the 
  size 
  it 
  attains, 
  and 
  the 
  

   habitat 
  it 
  manifestly 
  prefers. 
  Its 
  leaves 
  are 
  thinner 
  and 
  smooth 
  even 
  

   when 
  young, 
  they 
  are 
  pointed 
  at 
  the 
  base, 
  tapering 
  into 
  a 
  petiole 
  but 
  

   two 
  to 
  three 
  lines 
  long, 
  its 
  flowers 
  are 
  smaller 
  and 
  fewer 
  in 
  a 
  cluster,, 
  

   its 
  fruit 
  is 
  oval 
  rather 
  than 
  globose 
  and 
  the 
  plant 
  appears 
  to 
  delight 
  

   in 
  the 
  cool 
  shade 
  of 
  mountain 
  forests 
  and 
  in 
  elevated 
  situations. 
  It 
  

   flowers 
  in 
  June 
  and 
  ripens 
  its 
  fruit 
  in 
  July 
  and 
  August. 
  

  

  Amelanchier 
  spicata 
  DC, 
  

  

  Sandy 
  soil. 
  Karner, 
  Albany 
  county. 
  Thin 
  shaly 
  soil 
  covering 
  

   rocks. 
  Near 
  Lansingburg, 
  Rensselaer 
  county. 
  Flowering 
  in 
  May, 
  

   in 
  fruit 
  in 
  June 
  and 
  July. 
  

  

  This 
  plant, 
  as 
  it 
  occurs 
  with 
  us, 
  is 
  well 
  marked 
  and 
  quite 
  distinct 
  

   in 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  its 
  leaves. 
  These 
  are 
  very 
  unlike 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  

   preceding 
  species 
  in 
  character 
  and 
  texture. 
  They 
  are 
  thick 
  and 
  

   firm, 
  densely 
  woolly 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  surface 
  when 
  young, 
  orbicular 
  or 
  

   oval 
  and 
  very 
  obtuse 
  at 
  both 
  ends. 
  They 
  are 
  more 
  coarsely 
  serrate 
  

   than 
  in 
  our 
  other 
  species, 
  and 
  the 
  serratures 
  are 
  mostly 
  limited 
  to 
  the 
  

   upper 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  leaf. 
  The 
  petiole 
  varies 
  in 
  length 
  from 
  three 
  to 
  six 
  

   lines. 
  The 
  flowers 
  are 
  small 
  and 
  commonly 
  numerous, 
  giving 
  a 
  

  

  