Handbook of Trees of the Xortheex States and Canada. 441 



petals 5, white, spreading, deciduous; stamens numerous, inserted witli the petals on the 

 calyx, with free filiform filaments and oval 2-seeded anthers; pistil solitan- with 1-relled 

 ovary single terminal style, capitate stigma ; ovules 2, suspended. Fruit a 1-seeded drupe 

 with horny compressed pit, the seed suspended ; cotyledons fleshy. 

 The name is the ancient Latin name of the Plum-trc:. 



KICY TO THE SPECIE,'^. 



a Flowers in axillary umbels expanding with or before tlie leaves ; pit more or less flaLtened 

 b I'etioles rather slender and long (Bird Cherries) 

 c Fruit mostly % in. or more in diameter 



Leaves pubescent beneath ; fruit sweet P. Avium. 



I>eaves glabrous ; fruit tart P. Cerasus. 



c= Fruit about ^/^ in. in diameter, very sour P. Pejinsylvanica.. 



b- Petioles stout and short {Plums) 



c Fruit red or yellow and about \ in. or less long; leave; abruptly acuminate and 

 d Obovate-oblong. thickish, dull and veins impressed ; calyx-lobes 



Glabrous inside ; pit much compressed P. nigra. 



Pubescent inside ; pit turgid P. Americana. 



d^ Ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, thinnish ; pit turgid ; calyx-lobes 



Pubescent both sides; fruit austere with thickish skin... P. hortulana. 



Glabrous ; fruit with thinnish skin .• P. angustifolia. 



c' Fruit dark blue with bloom ; leaves ovate and petioles mostly without glands. 



P. Alleglianiensis^ 



a- Flowers in terminal corymbs appearing after the leaves P. Malialeb. 



a* Flowers in racemes terminating leafy branchlets ; leaves finely serrate 



b With slender spreading teeth ; leaves thinnish P. Virginiana. 



b- With incurved callous teeth ; leaves thickish P. serotina. 



a' Flowers mostly solitary; leaves oblong-lanceolate; fruit velvety... P. Persica. 

 For species see pp. 262-283 and the follouing: 

 I'EACil, Primus Persica (L.) S. & Z. (Amygdalus Persica L.). The Peach was early 

 introduced into this country from Europe, coming originally it is thought from China, and 

 is found naturalized in localities from southern N. Y. southward. It is a small tree, occasion- 

 ally 1 ft. in diameter, with bark exfoliating in laminate scales. Leaves lanceolate to lance- 

 oblong. 4-0 in. long, tapering about equally to both ends, serrate, glabrous ; petioles stout, 

 14. in. long. Floivers appearing before the leaves, solitary, pink, varying in size from Vj-2 in. 

 broad, scaly-bracted. Fruit a subglobose grooved drupe, velvety-tomentose. with very hard; 

 deeply pitted stone. 



PULSE OR PEA FAMILY. LEGUMINOS.^. 



A very large and important family of trees, shrubs and herbs of wide distribution 

 throughout all temperate and tropical regions, generally free from obnoxious proiierties and 

 many of its representatives of the greatest economic importance. There are about T.nOO 

 species grouped in nearly 4.50 genera, and of these seventeen have arborescent representatives 

 in the United States. 



Learrs alternate, usually compound, with stiiiules. Floucrs regular or papiliona<'eous 

 and usually perfect; stamens 1(1 or many, with diadelphous (sometimes distinct) filaments 

 and 2-celled anthers opening longitudinally ; pistil solitary, with one or several-celled superior 

 ovary. Fruit a legume. 



KEY TO THE (iENEKA. 

 a Flowers regular or imperfectly papilionaceous ; lobes imbricated in aestivation ; stamens, 

 with distinct filaments ; seeds albumenous ; flowers 

 b Imperfectly papilionaceous, perfect ; legume thin and flat ; leaves simple. 



Cercis. 

 b- Regular, dioecious or polygamous ; leaves 



Biiiinnnte ; calyx-tube elongated ; stamens 10 ; pods thick Gymnocladiis. 



Both pinnate and bipinnate ; stamens 3-5 ; pods thin Gleditsia. 



a- Flowers papilionaceous; seeds usually without albumen; leaves once-pinnate; stamens 



b Distinct ; flowers in long loose panicles Cladrastis. 



V Diadelphous ; pod thin and flat ; stipules spinescent Robinia. 



THE RED-BUDS. Genus CERCIS L. 



Small trees and shrubs of seven species, three of which are natives of North America 

 and the others of Europe and Asia. Oi the three North American species one is a Californian 

 shrub, another is a small tree of the basin of the Rio Grande in Texas and southward, and 

 the third is widely distributed in the middle and eastern states. 



L'arcs simple, deciduous, broad, with 5-7 prominent veins, entire, long-petiolate ; netioles 

 terete, slender and enlarged near the leaf-blade; stipules small, membranaceous, caducous.. 



