ROSE FAMILY 



pale green or reddish green and smooth, lenticuhir, later reddish 

 brown, finally become red brown or yra\- brown. Inntr b.irk lias a 

 pleasant and aromatic odor, bitter and aromatic to the taste. 



ll'ood. — Light brown or red. darkening with cNposm'c ; light, 

 strong, close-grained, susceptible of a fine polish. 01 great \alue 

 in cabinet work and interior finish of houses, now becoming scarce. 

 Sp. gr., 0.5S2; ; weight of cu. it., 36. ;S lbs. 



W'iiitir Buds. — Chestnut brown, obtuse, one-halt to two-thirds ot 

 an inch long. When spring growth begins the inner scales enlarge 

 and become one-half to two-thirds of an inch in length. 



Lidvcs. — .Alternate, simple, oblong to lanceolate-oblong, two to 

 five inches long, an inch to an inch and a b.all broad, wedge-sb.iped 

 or rounded at base, serrate, edges otten crinkled, gr.idually acumi- 

 nate or rarely rounded at apex. Fcather-\eined. midrib grooved 

 above, prominent beneath. priinar\- \eins slender. They come out 

 of the bud conduplicate, reddish green; when lull grown are deep 

 shining green abo\e. p. tier beneath: in autumn the_\' turn a clear 

 bright yellow. Petioles slender, terete, often marked with dark red 

 glands. Stijiules caducous. 



FloiL'crs. — May, June, when lea\"es are halt grow n. I'eiiect. white, 

 about one-fourth of an inch across, borne in narrow, man)-llowered 

 racemes three to four inches long. 



Caly.x. — Cup-shaped tube, hve-lobed, lobes obtuse, refie.xed, per- 

 sistent, imbricate in bud. 



Corolla. — Petals fi\-e, white, oboxate. inserted on the calyx tube, 

 imbricate in bud. 



Stanicns. — Fifteen to twenty, inserted on the calyx tube with the 

 petals; filaments thread-like; anthers introrse, two-celled; cells 

 opening longitudinally. 



Pistil. — Ovary superior, one, set in the bottom of the calyx tube ; 

 stigma thick, club-shaped. 



Fi'uil . — Drupe, depressed-globular, one-third to one-half inch in 

 diameter, shining black skin, dark purpile juicy tlesh. Calyx lobes 

 persistent on the fruit. August, September. Stone oblong-ovate ; 

 cotyledons thick and fleshy. 



Wild cherry, they grow in clusters like gr.ipcs, of the same big-ucss, blackish 

 red when ripe, and of a liarsh taste. 



— JciSsELYX. " New England Rarities." 



Pniniis scrotiiia is very generally known because of its cher- 

 ries. These cherries are flattened juicv globes the size of 

 large peas, with a shining bkick skin and dark purple flesh ; 

 borne in a soniewdiat straggling r;icenie. When ripe thev are 

 sliglitlv bitter with a pleasant vinous Ibivor and from the 

 standpoint of one who ate them in childhood delicious, ^\'hen 



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