ROSE FAMILY. 119 



with the oval or obovate and pointed leaves thin, very veiny, coarsely or doubly 

 serrate, smooth when old ; the globular or oval fruit ( J' - §' in diameter) ycDow 

 with some red, orange, or crimson, with a pleasant juice but a tough acerb skin, 

 the stone sharp-edged or margined. 



P. Chic^sa, Chickasaw Plum. Planted or run wild from Penn. S. & 

 W., native S. W. , 6° - 12° high, somewhat thorny, with long and narrow 

 almost lanceolate acute leaves, edged with very fine teeth, a globular red fruit 

 ii'-'i' in diameter) of pleasant flavor, thin-skinned, and containing a margin- 

 less almost globular stone. 



» « Cheekies of the Garden-Cherry sort, i. e. with flowers in sessile umbels from 

 separate lateral buds, in spring, vnth or rather preceding the leaves, which 

 are folded together lengthwise in the bud. 



P. Cerasus, Garden Bed Cheery. Cult, from Eu. ; a tree 10° - 30"» 

 high, with slender spreading branches, obovate and lance-ovate serrate leaves, 

 rather large flowers on shortish pedicels and somewhat preceding the leaves, 

 and an acid red globose fruit. The Morello Cheeey is a variety with dark 

 purple more astringent fruit. Probably derived from, or now sometimes mixed 

 with the next. 



P. diVium, Bird Cheery of Eu., English Cherey. Cult, from E! ;. 

 making a larger tree than the preceding, with ascending branches, softer and 

 coarsely or doubly toothed more pointed leaves, usually pubescent beneath, the 

 flowers developed at the same time with the leaves, and the round-ovoid or 

 somewhat heart-shaped fruit sweet or bitterish-sweet {not acid), of various 

 colors. Double-flowered varieties are cult, for ornament. 



P. Pennsylvduica, Wild Red Cheeey. Rocky woods N. Small 

 tree, with light red-brown bark, oblong-lanceolate and pointed leaves smooth 

 and green both sides, their margins finely and sharply serrate, small flowers on 

 long pedicels, and light red sour fruit not larger than peas. 



P. ptimila, DwAEP Cheery. Rocks or sandy banks N. Shrub spread- 

 ing or forming broad tufts on the ground, seldom rising 2° ; leaves spatulate- 

 lanceolate, pale beneath, toothed only towards the apex; flowers 2-4 together; 

 fruit ovoid, dark red, with stone as large as a pea. 



* * » Cherries of small size, with flowers in racemes, 

 1- In late spring or early summer, terminating leafy shoots of the season. 



P. serdtina, Wild Black Cheery. Tree or shrub, westward becoming 

 a good-sized forest tree, with bitter aromatic bark, close-grained reddish wood 

 valued by the cabinet-maker ; the oblong or lance-oblong smooth leaves of thick- 

 ish or firm texture, usually taper-pointed, serrate with incurved short callous 

 teeth ; flowers in long racemes, considerably later than the next ; purplish- 

 black bitterish vinous fruit ripening in autumn. 



P. Virginitoa, Choke Cherry. Tall shrub or small tree, with gray- 

 ish bark, oval-oblong or obovate and abruptly pointed thin leaves very sharply 

 serrate with slender projecting teeth ; flowers in shorter and closer racemes, in 

 spriiig ; the fruit ripe in summer, red turning dark crimson, astringent, but 

 eatable when fully ripe, the stone smooth. 



P. P^US, Small Bird-Cherry of Eu., is occasionally planted ; resem- 

 bles the last, has longer and looser often drooping racemes, and a roughened 

 tmne. 



1- i~ Erect racemes in early spring, from the axils of evergreen leaves. 



P. Carolini^ua, Carolina Laurel-Cherry, also called Mock Orange 

 at the South, probably from the coriaceous smooth and glossy leaves, which 

 are lance-ovate or oblong, entire or with a few sharp and appressed teeth, 

 longer than the racemes, the calyx as well as petals white ; small fruit black 

 and bitter, becoming dry. Ornamental small tree ; the leaves said to be poison- 

 ous to cattle. 



P. Iiauro-C^rasUS, Laurel-Cheeey of Europe, from Asia Minor, and 



P. IiUSit^lca, PoETUGAL L., from Portugal and the Azores, beautiful 

 evergreen shrubs or small trees, used for hedges and screens in England, are 

 nr>t hardy N., but would stand south of Penn. Their leaves and kernels are 

 sdongly imbued with the prussic-acid or bitter-almond flavor. 



