VINES AND SHRUBS 



small, black, round, with a whitish bloom. Flowers appear before 

 the leaves, in clusters, 2 or more in a cluster. 



Massachusetts to New Jersey and Pennsylvania, in dry- 

 soil, along roadsides and in waste places. 



Choke Cherry 



P. <virginiana. — Flowers and fruit, in close racemes at the ends 

 of branches. The cherries are dark red, harsh, acid, with astrin- 

 gent taste. Leaves, alternate, large, pointed, finely serrate, thin, 

 oval to oblong. Fruit ripe in July or August. 



A shrub or small tree, generally 2 to 10 feet high. Bark 

 grayish, the inner layers possessing an unpleasant odor. 

 Banks of rivers, New England to Georgia. 



Wild Black Cherry. Rum Cherry 



P. serotina. — A tall shrub or large tree. Leaves, smooth, shin- 

 ing, serrate, the teeth curving inward, bearing in summer long 

 racemes of small, black berries, bitter but pleasant in flavor. The 

 racemes of rather fragrant flowers appear in May. Fruit ripe 

 in August. 



Nearly everywhere, along fence-rows, roadsides, in open 

 fields, and on hillsides, from Massachusetts to Florida. Used 

 as a remedy for pulmonary complaints. 



Dwarf or Sand Cherry 



P. pumila. — A trailing shrub, 1 to 6 feet long. A few -flowers 

 grow clustered along the sides of the branches, with long peduncles. 

 Fruit, dark red, almost black when ripe. Leaves, narrow, lanceo- 

 late, sparsely serrate. 



Near the coast, in sand or among rocks, Maine to New 

 Jersey, west to Michigan. 



Shrubby Trefoil. Hop Tree 

 Ptelea trtfoliata. — Family, Rue. Color, greenish white. Leaves, 

 3-foliate. Leaflets, ovate, pointed, downy, at least when young. 

 Calyx, petals, and stamens, 3 to 5. Style, 1, bearing 2 stigmas. 

 Fruit, a round-winged, 2-celled, 2-seeded samara, bitter, used as 

 a substitute for hops. Flowers, unpleasantly scented, in com- 

 pound, flat clusters terminating the branches. June. 



Often cultivated. Wild in rocky places from Long Island 

 to Minnesota and southward. 



Black Alder. Winterberry. Fever Bush 



Hex <verticittkta. — Family, Holly. Color, white. Leaves, alter- 

 nate, oval, inversely ovate or lance - shape, 2 to 3 inches long, 



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