The Serviceberries 



437 



having a pleasant taste and flavor; their small size, however, prevents their more 

 general use. It is to be hoped that horticulturists will eventually succeed in their 

 endeavor to secure improved varieties with larger fruit. 



The name appUed to these plants is the Savoyan name of the European service- 

 berry, Amelanchier Amelanchier (Linnaeus) Sargent, the type of the genus. 



The arborescent species in our area are: 



Eastern trees; leaves mostly serrate or serrulate nearly to the base. 

 Top of ovary smooth, or nearly so; leaves mostly acute or acuminate 

 at the apex. 

 Young leaves and inflorescence smooth or slightly hairy; leaves mostly 



cordate or rounded at the base. i. A. canadensis. 



Young leaves and inflorescence white-woolly; leaves mostly narrowed 

 or rounded at base, rarely subcordate. 2. A. intermedia. 



Top of ovary woolly; leaves rounded, obtuse or subacute at apex. 

 Leaves coarsely toothed. 2. A. sanguinea. 



Leaves finely loothed. 4. A. aldbamensis. 



Western trees; leaves obtuse, toothed above the middle, seldom nearly to 

 the base. 

 Mature leaves firm, pale green. S-^. alnifolia. 



Mature leaves thin, bright green. 6. A. florida. 



I. SERVICEBERRY — Amelanchier canadensis (Linnaeus) Medicus 

 Mespilus canadensis Linnaeus. Amelanchier Botryapium de CandoUe 



This medium-sized tree, also called Juneberry, and Service tree, occurs in dry, 

 hilly woods from Newfoundland to Ontario, 

 and Kansas, southward to Florida, and 

 Louisiana, attaining a maximum height of 

 18 meters and a trunk diameter of 7.5 dm. 



Its branches are slender and spreading, 

 the tree becoming broad and round. The 

 bark is about 6 mm. thick, shaUowly fissured 

 lengthwise, and broken into angular reddish 

 brown scales. The twigs are slender, smooth 

 or nearly so, soon becoming reddish, finally 

 dark red-brown; the buds are about 6 mm. 

 long, covered by brown scales. The leaves 

 are thick and firm, ovate or oval, 2.5 to 10 

 cm. long, or larger on vigorous young shoots, 

 sharp-pointed or taper-pointed, rounded or 

 heart-shaped at the base, rather coarsely 

 toothed, red-brown and slightly hairy when Fig. 383. — Serviceberry. 



young, becoming smooth on both sides or sometimes persistently somewhat hairy 

 beneath, dull, dark green, with impressed midrib above, paler, with the midrib 



