504 



MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



Fig. 265. Wild Red Cherry (Prutms 

 pennsylvanica} . It contains the glti- 

 coside amygdalin. (Ada Hayden). 



Many plants of the family are cultivated for ornamental purposes and some 

 are economic. In the first class is the laurel cherry {Prunus Lauro-cerasus) , a 

 handsome fragrant shrub of the Caucasus to northern Persia, cultivated in the 

 southern states and very common in the Mediterranean regions of Europe. The 

 Mayday tree of Europe (^Prunus Padus), as well as numerous species of the 

 genus Spiraea, like Spiraea Douglasii, S. salicifolia, S. japonica, S. Thunbergii; 

 the nine-bark (Physocarpus opulif alius), species of the genus Rosa, such as 

 the prairie rose {Rosa setigera), sweetbrier {Rosa rubiginosa) , dog rose {Rosa 

 canina), R. rugosa, R. gallica, and the cinnamon rose {R. cinnamonea) are 

 frequently cultivated. Kerria japonica^ Rubus odoratus, Pyrus coronaria, P- 

 japonica, P. Aucuparia, P. americana, Crataegus mollis and C. punctata are also 

 cultivated. 



The family contains a large' number of valuable fruits; of these we may 

 mention the service berry {Amelanchier canadensis and A. spicata), the apple 

 {Pyrus Malus), the pear {Pyrus communis), the quince {P. Cydonia), straw- 



