5o6 



The Wild Cherries 



5. WILD CHERRY— Padus serotma (Ehrhart) Agardh 



Prunus serotina Ehrhart 



This well-known tree, also called the Black, Cabinet, or Rum cherry, is abun- 

 dant in mixed forests and neglected clearings, from Nova Scotia to Ontario and 

 South Dakota southward to Florida, Kansas and Texas, attaining a maximum 

 height of 35 meters, and a trunk diameter of 2 m. 



The bark of old trunks is nearly 2 cm. thick, fissured in all directions into small 



scaly plates of a dark red-brown color j 

 with raised edges on yoimg trunks and 

 branches the bark is smooth and yellow- 

 ish brown, the outer portion peeling off 

 easily, exposing a bright green umer 

 layer. The twigs are slender, smooth, 

 pale green or yellowish brown, becoming 

 bright red or brown; winter buds covered 

 by brown, pointed scales. The leaves 

 are firm, oval to oblong or lanceolate, 6 to 

 15 cm. long, taper-pointed, or rarely blunt, 

 wedge-shaped or rounded with two 

 prominent glands at the base, margined 

 by short, thick-tipped glandular teeth, 

 slightly hairy at the midrib when imfold- 

 ing, soon becoming smooth, shining, dark 

 green with impressed midrib above, paler 

 Fig. 467- — wad Cheny. ^th prominent midrib beneath, the leaf- 



stalk about 1.5 cm. long. The tree flowers from April to June, when the leaves 

 are partly expanded; flowers about 8 mm. across, on short pedicels less than i 

 cm. long, in narrow, erect or spreading racemes 10 to 15 cm. long, the axis and 

 pedicels smooth; the calyx-tube is cup-shaped, smooth, its lobes ovate, obtuse, and 

 sUghtljr irregularly toothed, and, with the filaments, persistent in fruit; petals white, 

 broadly obovate ; filaments and pistil smooth. The fruit ripens in August or Sep- 

 tember, is globose, 8 to 10 mm. in diameter, dark purple or black; skin thick; 

 flesh dark, juicy, but sUghtly astringent ; the stone is oblong, pointed, ridged on one 

 edge, sharp on the other. 



The fruit is used to some extent for making jeUies and as a flavoring for alco- 

 hoKc liquors. The bark is an important drug and is oflBcial in the United States 

 Pharmacopoeia on account of the tonic bitter principle and the sedative hydrocyanic 

 acid it produces; it should be gathered in the autumn or winter. 



The wood is strong, rather hard, close-grained, yellowish red and satiny; its 

 specific gravity is about 0.58. It is used very extensively in the manufacture of 

 furniture and for panels, doors, cases and frames. The tree is of rather rapid 

 growth, but is not esteemed for decorative planting. 



