496 



The Plums and Cherries 



Fig. 455- — Garden Plvun. 



12. GARDEN PLUM — Prunus domestica Linnjeus 



Prunus insUitia Linnaeus 



The European garden plum, also known as the Damson plum or Bullace, is 

 an occasional escape to roadsides and about old orchards, often forming dense 



thickets; it sometimes attains 

 a height of 8 meters. The 

 branches are stiff and upright, 

 with or without thorns. 



The twigs are rather stout, 

 somewhat hairy at first, be- 

 coming smooth and red to gray- 

 ish brown. The leaves are 

 thick and firm, very variable in 

 outline, from ovate to obovate, 

 5 to 8 cm. long, sharp or taper- 

 pointed, more or less tapering 

 at the base into the stout, 

 broad, channelled leaf-stalk, 

 coarsely and irregularly 

 toothed, dull dark green and 

 somewhat wrinkled above, 

 paler, rough, and prominently veined beneath. The flowers are white, appearing 

 in April or May, with the leaves; they are usually solitary, sometimes 2 or 3 in 

 a cluster, on slender stalks about 5 cm. long. The fruit, which ripens in August, 

 varies somewhat, but on wild plants is usually 

 about 2.5 cm. long, blue-black, with a bloom; 

 the stone is large, slightly roughened, promi- 

 nently ridged and grooved on one edge. 



The wood is hard, close-grained, red- 

 brown, sometimes with hghter streaks; its 

 specific gravity is about 0.83. It takes a fine 

 poUsh and is a favorite, in Europe, for cabi- 

 net work and instrument making. 



13. SOUR CHERRY — Pnmus Cerasns 



Linnseus 



A native of Europe, also called Egriot, 

 widely cultivated in many improved fruiting 

 varieties, and a frequent escape, from suck- 

 ers at the roots or spontaneously by seed, 

 in waste places along roadsides and margins 



Fig. 456. — Sour Cherry. 



