Vf 111) BL M K CHERRY 



/' //. 



The lMum I amilv 

 DBUPACBA1 



Habit ami Habitat: A sized b -50 feet high, with a trunk 



diameter of 6-20 inches; main branches few, bulky, irregular, forming 

 landed or oblong crown; trunk often brand for l< 



bove the ground. In woods or open - where the soil is moist 



anil rich, but farther east IB also found in gravely ami sandy soils. 



Leaves and Bods: The leaves are alternate, P : -i inches long and 

 -half as broad, oval or oblong, or Bomewl nderer, margin 



finely serrate, with the individual teeth incurved, more or less leath> 

 dark green and shiny above, paler beneath, smooth on both sides, petioles 

 it. slender, usually with 2 red glands near the blade. The terminal 

 bud is '..-S inch long, broadly ovoid and blunt or acutely pointed, light to 

 iark grown, scales having a short-pointed tip and a keel on the back, 

 lateral buds smaller. 



Flowers and Fruits: Flowers usually produced in June when the 

 leaves are about half grown, perfect, V 4 inch wide, borne in many- 

 flowered, loose, drooping- or erect clusters, 2-4 inches long; calyx cup- 

 shaped, o-lobed; petals 5, white, attached to the margin of the calyx cup: 

 stamens many, also on the edge of the calyx cup; ovary thick and 

 club-shaped. Fruit maturing in late summer or early fall, -j-lobular, 

 4 inch thick, dark purple or black, sweet, but slightly bitter, edible, 

 with a small stone an • comparatively thin flesh. 



Bark. Twigs and Wood: The bark on young twigs and branches is 

 : or reddish-brown, smooth, shiny, becoming dark brown or blackish on 

 the old branches and main trunk, rough and broken into thick irregular 

 plates or scales, bitter, aromatic. >d light, strong, hard, close- 



grained, light reddish-brown, sapwood thin and yellow. A valuable com- 

 mercial wood for cabinet making, very high priced and relatively scarce. 



Distribution in the State: This is a famous forest tree of eastern 



Un ates from Vermont to Ontario. Florida, Texas and Dakota. It 



ends into southeastern and southern Nebraska from the Missouri 



forests from which so many of our native trees have come. Wild 



black cherry hi ead along the Missouri river and its tributa; 



py county and westward along the Republican valley to Franklin 

 county. The fruits are *ly sought by the birds and so the spe 



probably extending its range in our state rather rapidly, lia] 



Remarks: T! re probably not many fine Bpecim< wild 



black cherry to be found growing naturally in N ka, but I haw- 



seen a few. A number of fine specimens of the : " them b» 



'h with a trunk diameter of 18 in, :av be seen in the woods 



alon g Weeping \\ reek in Tnss county a few mil the 



town ping V I have seen the tree Wi bash also al< 



the sann im and thof lent t' 



extension of tl I alone the Republican valley. T ; 



is sometimes plant an ornamental. The bark is the source of a drug 



which ften used in cough medicii 



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