450 WOODY PLANTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 
somewhat thorny. The trunk is covered with a very dark red- 
dish or bronze green bark, resembling that of the cherry tree ; 
the smaller branches of a reddish bronze color. The footstalks 
of the leaves are short, reddish, with often two glands on the 
raised border near the expansion of the leaf. The leaves are 
broad ovate, oblong oval or pear-shaped, tapering suddenly to 
along point, and edged with rounded, double serratures, with 
aminute, shining, callous point at the extremity of each; smooth 
but conspicuously impressed with furrows over the veins above; 
pale, and somewhat downy along the mid-rib and at the axils of 
the veins beneath. The flowers come out in April or May, in 
close, crowded bunches of 3 or 4 each, near the ends of last 
year’s branches. The fruit is roundish ovoid, somewhat flat- 
tened, and with a furrow on one side, reddish orange, when 
ripe, with a yellowish pulp, and a thick, leathery skin. ‘The 
stone is much flattened and bordered with a thin border on all 
sides; kernel flattened, very bitter. The fruit, which is often 
nearly an inch in diameter, is sometimes sweet and pleasant, 
but usually rather austerc, and used chiefly for preserving in 
sugar; but much improved, both in size and flavor, according 
to Dr. Darlington, by cultivation. Few attempts of this kind 
have been made. Ifthey have already been rewarded by strik- 
ing improvement, what might we not expect from a well con- 
ducted series of experiments, such as those of Van Mons, con- 
tinued for many years? No native fruit promises better in 
this respect, as it has a wider range than almost any other 
North American plant. 
Introduced species. 
Witp Burtace Tree. PP. insititia. LL. 
A bush or small tree, found on the banks of Charles River, 
in Cambridge, by road-sides at Cohasset, and in other places in 
the vicinity of Boston. 
The shorter, lateral branches, often end in a thorn. The 
leaves are an inch or an inch and a half long, generally obovate, 
or ovate-lanceolate, acute, tapering at base, serrate, downy be- 
neath. The flowers and leaves come from different buds, by 
