Æ. Hippocástanum.Æ. Hippocástanum.
Æ. Hippocástanum.
1.Æsculus Hippocástanum.(Common Horse-chestnut.) Leaves of 7 obovate, abruptly pointed, serrated leaflets. Flowersvery showy in large clusters, with 5 white, purple and yellow spotted, broadly spreading petals. A variety with double flowers is in cultivation. May or June. Fruit large, covered with prickles. Seeds large, chestnut-colored. Tree of large size, with brown twigs; cultivated everywhere; from Asia.
Æ. rubicúnda.Æ. rubicúnda.
Æ. rubicúnda.
Æsculus rubicunda(Red-flowering Horse-chestnut) is frequent in cultivation; leaflets 5 to 7, red-spotted and rough; flowers rosy red. It is probably a hybrid between the common Horse-chestnut and one of the Buckeyes.
Æ glàbra.Æ glàbra.
Æ glàbra.
2.Æsculus glàbra, Willd. (Ohio Buckeye.) Leaves with 5 oval-oblong, acuminate, serrate, smooth leaflets. Flowers not showy, yellowish-white, with 4 somewhat irregular, slightly spreading petals. June. Fruit small, 1 in. in diameter, covered with prickles, at least when young; ripe in autumn. Small to large tree, wild in the basin of the Ohio River, along river-banks. Sometimes cultivated.
Æ. Pàvia.Æ. Pàvia.
Æ. Pàvia.
3.Æsculus Pàvia, L. (Red Buckeye.) Leaves of 5 to 7 oblong-lanceolate, finely serrate, generally smooth leaflets, of a shining green color, with purple veins and petioles. Flowers (corolla and calyx) bright red, with included stamens; corolla of 4 petals, not spreading; calyx tubular. Fruit smooth, oblong-obovate, 1 in. long. Small tree or shrub, 10 to 20 ft. high, with purple twigs. Virginia west and south, and occasionally cultivated throughout.
Æ. flàva.Æ. flàva.
Æ. flàva.
4.Æsculus flàva, Ait. (Sweet Buckeye.) Leaves with 5 to 7 serrulate, elliptical, acuminate leaflets, usually smooth, sometimesminutely pubescent beneath; the pubescent petiole flattish toward the base. Flowers yellow, not spreading. Spring. Fruit globose, uneven but not prickly, 2 in. in diameter. Seeds large (1 in.), 1 or 2 in number, mahogany-colored; ripe in autumn. Often a large tree, sometimes only a shrub, 6 to 70 ft. high, in rich woods; Virginia to Indiana, and southward. Cultivated occasionally throughout.
Var.purpurascensof this species has flesh-colored or dull-purple flowers, and leaflets quite downy beneath.
Æ. macrostàchya.Æ. macrostàchya.
Æ. macrostàchya.
5. Æsculus macrostàchya, Mx. (Long-racemed Buckeye.) Leaflets 5 to 7, ovate, acuminate, serrate, velvety with hairs beneath. Flowers white, in long, slender, erect clusters; July; petals 4, spreading; stamens very long. A beautiful, widely spreading shrub. 5 to 18 ft. high; from the Southern States; often cultivated. Probably hardy throughout.
Genus24. KŒLREUTÈRIA.
A small tree with alternate, once to twice irregularly pinnate leaves with many coarsely toothed leaflets. Flowers conspicuous, yellow, in terminal panicles. In summer. Fruit rounded, bladdery, 3-celled, few-seeded pods; ripe in autumn.
K. paniculàta.K. paniculàta.
K. paniculàta.
Kœlreutèria paniculàta, Laxm. Leaflets thin and very irregularly toothed. Clusters 6 to 12 in. long, of many irregular flowers, ½ in. wide; through the summer. Fruit an ovate, bladdery capsule, ripening in autumn. A fine, small, round-headed tree, 20 to 40 ft. high; from China. Probably hardy throughout.
Genus25. ÀCER.
Trees, or rarely shrubs, with simple, opposite, and almost always palmately lobed leaves, which, in our species, are always deciduous. Flowers small and usually dull-colored, in clusters. Fruit double-winged and 2-seeded, in some species hanging on the tree till the leaves have fallen; in others dropping off early in the spring. The species differ much in the spreading of the wings of the fruit. Wood light-colored and medium hard; bark rather smoothish, but in large trees with longitudinal cracks.
À. spicàtum.À. spicàtum.
À. spicàtum.
1.Àcer spicàtum, Lam. (Mountain Maple.) Leaves with 3 (rarely 5) coarsely serrated, taper-pointed lobes, with slightly cordate base; downy beneath. Flowers greenish-yellow, in erect,slender racemes or panicles, blooming in June. Wings of the small fruit at about a right angle. Small tree, 6 to 10 ft. high, or usually a shrub, with brown twigs. Native; growing in moist woods; rarely cultivated.
À. Pennsylvánicum.À. Pennsylvánicum.
À. Pennsylvánicum.
2.Àcer Pennsylvánicum, L. (Striped Maple.) Leaves large, thin, 3-lobed at the end, cordate at base, finely and sharply doubly serrate. Flowers greenish, in drooping, elongated, loose racemes appearing after the leaves in spring. Fruit with large diverging wings. A small, slender tree, with light green bark striped with dark red. Wild throughout and cultivated.
À. dasycárpum.À. dasycárpum.
À. dasycárpum.
3.Àcer dasycárpum, Ehrh. (Silver or White Maple.) Leaves large, truncated at base, 5-lobed, with blunt notches, the lobes irregularly serrated and notched, silvery white, and, when young, downy beneath. Flowers light yellowish-purple, preceding the leaves, in crowded umbels along the branches. Wings of fruit large and forming about a right angle; ripe early in June. A rather large, rapidly growing, and usually somewhat weeping tree, with soft white wood. Special cut-leaved and weeping varieties are sold at the nurseries. Wild along river-banks, and extensively cultivated in the streets of cities.
À. rùbrum.À. rùbrum.
À. rùbrum.
4.Àcer rùbrum, L. (Red Maple.) Leaves cordate at base and cleft into 3 to 5 acute-notched, irregularly toothed lobes, whitish beneath, turning a bright crimson in early autumn. Flowers usually scarlet, rarely yellowish, in close clusters along the branches, appearing before the leaves in the spring.Fruit often reddish, small, with the wings at about a right angle. A rather small, somewhat spreading tree with reddish branches; wild in wet places and often cultivated.
À. Pseudoplátanus.À. Pseudoplátanus.
À. Pseudoplátanus.
5.Àcer Pseudoplátanus, L. (Sycamore-maple.) Leaves thickish, cordate, downy beneath, with 5 rather crenately toothed lobes, on long, often reddish petioles. Flowers in long pendulous racemes, appearing after the leaves. Fruit hanging on the tree till after the leaves fall in the autumn, the wings forming about a right angle. A rather large, spreading tree, 30 to 80 ft. high, with reddish-brown twigs. Cultivated; from Europe. Many varieties of this species are sold by the nurserymen; among them may be mentioned the Purple-leaved, Golden-leaved, Silver-leaved, Tricolored, etc.
À. saccharìnum.À. saccharìnum.
À. saccharìnum.
6.Àcer saccharìnum, Wang. (Sugar or Rock Maple.) Leaves deeply 3- to 5-lobed, with rounded notches; lobes acute, few-toothed; base heart-shaped, smooth above, glaucous beneath. Flowers hanging in umbel-like clusters at the time the leaves are expanding in the spring. Fruit with wings not quite forming a right angle. A large (50 to 100 ft. high), very symmetrical tree, ovate in form, with whitish-brown twigs. Wild throughout, and extensively cultivated in the streets of cities.
Var.nigrum, Torr. and Gray. (Black Sugar-maple.) Leaves scarcely paler beneath, but often minutely downy; lobes wider, often shorter and entire; notch at the base often closed (the under leaf in the figure). Found with the other Sugar-maple, and quite variable.
À. macrophýllum.À. macrophýllum.
À. macrophýllum.
7.Àcer macrophýllum, Ph. (Large-leaved or California Maple.) Leaves very large, 8 to 10 in. broad; 5-, sometimes 7-lobed, with deep, rounded notches; lobes themselves somewhat 3-lobed and repand-notched; pubescent beneath. Flowers yellow, in erect panicles, fragrant, blooming after the leaves are expanded. Fruit large, withthe seeded portion hairy; wings at about a right angle. Tree very large (100 ft. high); wood soft, whitish, beautifully veined. Twigs brown; buds green. Cultivated; from the Pacific coast, but not hardy north of 40° N. latitude.
À. platanoìdes.À. platanoìdes.
À. platanoìdes.
8.Àcer platanoìdes, L. (Norway Maple.) Leaves large, smooth, 5-, rarely 7-cleft, with cordate base; lobes acute, with few coarse, sharp teeth, bright green both sides. The leaves resemble those of the Sycamore (Platanus). Flowers a little later than the leaves in spring, in stalked corymbs, less drooping than the Sugar-maple (No. 6). Fruit with wings diverging in a straight line. A medium-sized, broad, rounded tree with brown twigs and milky juice, best seen at the bases of the young leaves. Cultivated throughout.
À. Læ̀tum.À. Læ̀tum.
À. Læ̀tum.
9.Àcer Læ̀tum.(Colchicum-leaved Maple.) Leaves 5- to 7-lobed, scarcely heart-shaped at base, smooth and green on both sides; juice milky; the lobes usually without any notches or irregularities, sometimes with about three winding sinuations. Flowers in erect corymbs. Differs from Acer platanoides in having the lobes of the leaves more nearly entire, and the fruit much smaller with wings not so broadly spreading.
À. campéstre.À. campéstre.
À. campéstre.
10.Àcer campéstre, L. (English or Cork-bark Maple.) Leaves cordate, with usually 5 roundish lobes, sparingly crenate or rather undulated; juice milky. Racemes of flowers erect, appearing after the leaves in spring. Wings of the fruitbroadly spreading; fruit ripening very late. A low (15 to 30 ft. high), round-headed tree, with the twigs and smaller branches covered with corky bark. Occasionally cultivated; from Europe.
Var.variegatumhas white blotched leaves.
À. palmàtum.À. palmàtum.
À. palmàtum.
11.Àcer palmàtum, Thunb. (Palmate-leaved Japan Maple.) Leaves small, smooth, palmately parted into 5 to 9 quite regularly serrated lobes. Flowers in small umbels. A very low tree, almost a shrub; cultivated; from Japan; probably hardy throughout. There are a great number of Japan Maples, many of them probably varieties of this species, others hybrids. The leaves of some are so divided and dissected as to form merely a fringe or feather. In color they range from pure green to the richest reds.
À. circinàtum.À. circinàtum.
À. circinàtum.
12.Àcer circinàtum, Pursh. (Round-leaved or Vine Maple.) Leaves orbicular, with 7 to 11 serrated, acute lobes, a heart-shaped base, reddish-green color, and both surfaces smooth. Corymbs of purplish flowers, small and hanging on long peduncles; appearing after the leaves. Wings of the fruit diverging in a straight line. A small tree or tall shrub, 10 to 30 ft. high, of spreading habit, with smooth bark, and pale brown twigs; cultivated; from the Pacific coast of North America.
À. Tartáricum.À. Tartáricum.
À. Tartáricum.
13.Àcer Tartáricum, L. (Tartarian Maple.) Leaves ovate, slightly cordate, rarely lobed, serrated, light-colored, expanding very early in the spring. Panicle of greenish-yellow flowers erect, blooming after the leaves have expanded. Wings of the fruit parallel or sometimes touching. A small tree, sometimes shrubby in growth, of irregular form, with brown twigs; rarely cultivated; from Europe.
Genus26. NEGÚNDO.
Leaves pinnate, of 3 to 5 leaflets. Flowers rather inconspicuous. Fruit a two-winged key as in Acer, in drooping racemes.
N. aceroìdes.N. aceroìdes.
N. aceroìdes.
Negúndo aceroìdes, Moench. (Ash-leaved Maple. Box-elder.) Leaves pinnate, of 3 to 5 (rarely 7) coarsely and sparingly toothed leaflets. Flowers staminate and pistillate on separate trees, in drooping clusters rather earlier than the leaves. Fruit on only a portion of the trees; wings forming less than a right angle. A rather small (30 to 60 ft. high), rapidly growing tree, with light pea-green twigs; wild from Pennsylvania and south, and cultivated throughout.
Var.Californicum, Torr. and Gray (the under drawing in the figure), has leaflets more deeply cut, thicker, and quite hairy; it is occasionally cultivated.
OrderXVI. ANACARDIÁCEÆ.
(Cashew Family.)
Trees and shrubs, mainly of the tropical regions, here represented by only one genus:
Genus27. RHÚS.
Low trees or shrubs with acrid, often poisonous, usually milky juice, and dotless, alternate, usually pinnately compound leaves. Flowers greenish-white or yellowish, in large terminal panicles. Fruit small (1/8 in.), indehiscent, dry drupes in large clusters, generally remaining on through the autumn.
R. týphina.R. týphina.
R. týphina.
1.Rhús týphina, L. (Stag-horn Sumac.) Leaflets 11 to 31, oblong-lanceolate, pointed, serrate (rarely laciniate), pale beneath. Branches and footstalks densely hairy. Fruit globular, in large, dense, erect panicles, covered with crimson hairs. Shrub or tree, 10 to 30 ft. high. It is very common along fences and on hillsides. The wood is orange-colored and brittle.
R. glàbra.R. glàbra.
R. glàbra.
2.Rhús glàbra, L. (Smooth Sumac.) Leaflets 11 to 31, lanceolate-oblong, pointed, serrate, smooth, glaucous white beneath. Branches not hairy. Fruit globular, in a rather open, spreading cluster, covered densely with crimson hairs. A shrubby plant, 2 to 12 ft. high, found quite abundantly in rocky or barren soil throughout.
R. laciniàta.R. laciniàta.
R. laciniàta.
Var.laciniatais frequently planted for ornament. It has very irregularly twice-pinnate leaves drooping gracefully from the branches.
R. copallìna.R. copallìna.
R. copallìna.
3.Rhús copallìna, L. (Dwarf Mountain Sumac.) Branches and stalks downy; leafstalk wing-margined between the 9 to 21 oblong-lanceolate, usually entire leaflets, which are oblique at base and smooth and shining above. Wild in rocky hills throughout; often cultivated. North, a beautiful shrub; south, a tree. 2 to 25 ft. high.
R. venenàta.R. venenàta.
R. venenàta.
4.Rhús venenàta, DC. (Poison-sumac. Poison-dogwood. Poison-elder.) Leaflets 7 to 13, obovate-oblong, entire, abruptly pointed, smooth or nearly so. Fruit small, globular, smooth, dun-colored, in loose axillarypanicles hanging on late in winter; the stone striate. This is a very poisonous species (to the touch), 6 to 18 ft. high, growing in swamps. Rarely at all tree-like.
R. Osbéckii.R. Osbéckii.
R. Osbéckii.
5.Rhús Osbéckii, DC. (Chinese Sumac.) Leaves very large, pinnate, assuming in autumn a rich reddish-fawn or orange color; the leafstalk broadly winged between the leaflets; leaflets serrate. A small ornamental tree, 10 to 25 ft. high; cultivated; from China; quite hardy in the Northern States.
R. Cótinus.R. Cótinus.
R. Cótinus.
6.Rhús Cótinus, L. (Smoke-tree. Venetian Sumac.) Leaves smooth, obovate, entire, on slender petioles. Flowers greenish, minute, in terminal or axillary panicles. Fruit seldom found. Usually most of the flowers are abortive, while their pedicels lengthen, branch, and form long feather-like hairs, making large cloud-like branches that look somewhat like smoke (whence the name). A shrub or small tree, 6 to 10 ft. high, often planted for ornament; from Europe.
R. cotinoìdes.R. cotinoìdes.
R. cotinoìdes.
7.Rhús cotinoìdes, Nutt. (American Smoke-tree.) Leaves thin, oval, obtuse, entire, acute at base, 3 to 6 in. long, smooth or nearly so. Flowers and fruit like those of the cultivated species (Rhus Cotinus). A tree 20 to 40 ft. high; stem sometimes a foot or more in diameter in the Southern States; wild in Tennessee, west and south. Rare in cultivation.
OrderXVII. LEGUMINOSÆ.(Pulse Family.)
A very large order of plants, mainly herbaceous; found in all climates. A few are shrubby, and others are from small to large trees.
Genus28. LABÚRNUM.
Low trees or shrubs with alternate, palmate leaves of three leaflets. Flowers conspicuous, pea-blossom-shaped, in long hanging racemes, in late spring. Fruit pea-pod-shaped, dark brown, and many-seeded; ripe in autumn.
L. vulgàre.L. vulgàre.
L. vulgàre.
Labúrnum vulgàre.(Laburnum. Golden-chain. Bean-trefoil Tree.) Leaves petiolate, with 3 ovate-lanceolate leaflets, pubescent beneath. Flowers bright yellow, nearly 1 in. long, in long (1 ft.), pendulous, simple racemes; in late spring. Pods 2 in. long, linear, many-seeded, covered with closely appressed pubescence; one edge thick; ripe in autumn. A low, very ornamental tree, 10 to 20 ft. high, often cultivated; from Switzerland. Varieties with reddish, purple, and white flowers are also in cultivation.
Var.alpinushas smooth pods.
Genus29. CARAGÀNA.
Leaves alternate, deciduous, abruptly once-pinnate; leaflets mucronate; stipules usually spinescent. Flowers pea-flower-shaped, mostly yellow. Trees or shrubs of Asia.
C. arboréscens.C. arboréscens.
C. arboréscens.
Caragàna arboréscens, Larn. (Pea-tree.) Leaves with 4 to 6 pairs of oval-oblong, mucronate-pointed, hairy leaflets; petioles unarmed; stipules spinescent. Flowers yellow, blooming in May. Pods brown, ripe in August. A low, stiff, erect tree, 10 to 15 ft. high; in poor soil a bush. From Siberia; frequent in cultivation.
Genus30. CLADRÁSTIS.
Small tree with alternate, odd-pinnate leaves, the base of the petiole hollow, and inclosing the leaf-buds of the next year. Flowers large, pea-blossom-like in shape, in large clusters. Fruit pea-pod-like in shape and size. Wood light yellow, firm and hard.
C. tinctòria.C. tinctòria.
C. tinctòria.
Cladrástis tinctòria, Raf. (Yellow-wood.) Leaflets 7 to 11, oval to ovate, 3 to 4 in. long, beautiful light green in color. Flowers 1 in. long, white, not so fragrant as the common Locust, in hanging panicles 10 to 20 in. long; blooming in June. Pods 2 in. long, ripe in August. Wild but rare in Kentucky and south. A beautiful tree, 20 to 50 ft. high, with very smooth grayish bark; rarely cultivated.
Genus31. ROBÍNIA.
Trees or shrubs with alternate, odd-pinnate leaves, having spines on each side of the stalk in place of stipules. Leafstalk thickened near the base, and covering 2 to 3 buds for the growth of a branch for the next year. An axillary bud also found that may produce a branch the same year as the leaf. Flowers large, pea-blossom-shaped, in large clusters. Fruit a pea-shaped pod.
R. Pseudacácia.R. Pseudacácia.
R. Pseudacácia.
1.Robínia Pseudacácia, L. (Common Locust.) Leaflets 9 to 19, small, oblong-ovate, entire, thin. Twigs purplish-brown, slender, smooth, not sticky. Flowers white, fragrant, in hanging racemes, 3 to 6 in. long. June. Pods flat, smooth, purplish-brown, ripe in September. An irregularly growing, slender tree, 70 to 80 ft. high, with white or greenish-yellow, very durable wood, and on old trees very rough bark with long, deep furrows. Native; Pennsylvania, west and south, and extensively planted and naturalized throughout. A number of varieties, some of which are thornless, are in cultivation.
R. viscòsa.R. viscòsa.
R. viscòsa.
2.Robínia viscòsa, Vent. (Clammy Locust.) Leaflets 11 to 25, ovate-oblong, sometimes slightly heart-shaped at base, tipped with a short bristle. Twigs and leafstalks sticky to the touch. Flowers in a short, rather compact, upright raceme, rose-colored and inodorous. A small tree, 30 to 40 ft. high; native south, and has been quite extensively cultivated north.
3.Robínia híspida, L. (Bristly Locust. Rose-acacia.), with bristly leafstalks and branchlets, and large rose-colored flowers, is only a bush. Often cultivated. Wild from Virginia and south.
Genus32. CÉRCIS.
Small trees or shrubs, with alternate, simple, heart-shaped leaves. Flowers in umbel-like clusters along the branches, appearing before the leaves, and shaped like pea-blossoms. Fruit pea-like pods, remaining on the tree throughout the year. Wood hard, heavy, and beautifully blotched or waved with black, green, and yellow, on a gray ground.
C. Canadénsis.C. Canadénsis.
C. Canadénsis.
1.Cércis Canadénsis, L. (Judas-tree. Redbud.) Leaves acutely pointed, smooth, dark green, glossy. Flowers bright red-purple. Pods nearly sessile, 3 to 4 in. long, brown when ripe in August. A small ornamental tree, 10 to 30 ft. high, with smooth bark and hard apple-tree-like wood; wild from Central New York southward, and often cultivated.
2.Cércis siliquástrum(European Judas-tree.), from Europe, with obtusely pointed, somewhat kidney-shaped leaves, and white to purple flowers, is sometimes cultivated. It is not so tall or tree-like as the American species.
Genus33. GYMNÓCLADUS.
Tall trees with alternate, very large (2 to 4 ft. long), unequally twice-pinnate leaves. Flowers white, conspicuous, in racemes at the ends of the branches. Fruit a large pea-like pod. Some trees are without fruit through the abortion of the pistils.
G. Canadénsis.G. Canadénsis.
G. Canadénsis.
Gymnócladus Canadénsis, Lam. (Kentucky Coffee-tree.) Leaves 2 to 3 ft. long, often with the lower pinnæ simple and the upper pinnate. Leaflets ovate, of a dull bluish-green color. Shoots cane-like, blunt and stubby, quite erect. Bark exceedingly rough. Pod large, 6 to 10 in. long, 2 in. broad, with seeds over ½ in. across. A large (50 to 80 ft. high) tree with compact, tough, reddish wood. Wild from western New York southwestward, and occasionally cultivated as an ornamental tree.
Genus34. GLEDÍTSCHIA.
Usually thorny trees with alternate, once to twice abruptly pinnate leaves. Flowers inconspicuous, greenish, in small spikes. Summer. Fruit a small or large pea-like pod, with one to many seeds; ripe in autumn, but often hanging on the trees through the winter.
G. triacánthos.G. triacánthos.
G. triacánthos.
1.Gledítschia triacánthos, L. (Honey-locust.) Leaflets lanceolate-oblong, somewhat serrate. Pods linear, 1 to 1½ ft. long, often twisted, filled with sweet pulp between the seeds. A large, handsome, clean tree, with usually many stout, much-branched thorns, especially abundant on bruised portions of the trunk and large branches; thorns compressed at base. Wild from Pennsylvania southward and westward, and extensively cultivated throughout.
A variety without thorns is frequently met with (var.inermis), also one with drooping foliage (var.Bujotii pendula).
G. aquática.G. aquática.
G. aquática.
2.Gledítschia aquática, Marsh. (Water-locust.) Leaflets ovate or oblong. Pods oval, 1 to 4 in. long, 1- to few-seeded, without pulp. A small tree with few slender, usually simple thorns; in swamps in southern Illinois and south. Occasionally planted for ornament. This species is quite similar to the preceding one, but the leaves are somewhat smaller, the thorns, though occasionally branching, do not branch so extensively, and the pod is very short and rounded.
G. sinénsis.G. sinénsis.
G. sinénsis.
3.Gledítschia sinénsis, Lam. (Chinese Honey-locust.) A tree with stouter and more conical thorns, broader and more oval leaflets. A medium-sized or small tree, often cultivated. This species, like the others, has a thornless variety.
Genus35. ALBÍZZIA.
Trees or shrubs with abruptly pinnate leaves. Fruit a broad-linear straight pod.
A. julibríssin.A. julibríssin.
A. julibríssin.
Albízzia julibríssin, Boivin. (Silk-tree.) Leaves twice abruptly pinnate, of many (over 400) leaflets; leaflets semi-oblong, curved, entire, acute, with the midrib near the upper edge. Flowers in globose heads forming panicles. Fruit plain pods on short stems. A very beautiful small tree, introduced from Japan; probably not hardy north of Washington. The figure shows only one of the lowest and shortest side divisions (pinnæ) of the leaf. The pinnæ increase in length and number of leaflets to the end of the leaf.
OrderXVIII. ROSACEÆ.(Rose Family.)
A large and very useful order of trees, shrubs, and herbs of temperate regions.
Genus36. PRÙNUS.
Trees or shrubs with simple, alternate, deciduous, usually serrate, stipulate leaves, without lobes. The stems produce gum when injured. Foliage and nuts have flavor of peach-leaves. Flowers conspicuous, usually white, or light pink, often in clusters, peach-blossom-shaped; in early spring. Fruit in size from pea to peach, a rounded drupe with one stony-coated seed.
P. Pérsica.P. Pérsica.
P. Pérsica.
1.Prùnus Pérsica, L. (Common Peach.) Leaves lanceolate, serrate. Flowers rose-colored, nearly sessile, very early in bloom. Fruit clothed with velvety down, large; stone rough-wrinkled. A small tree, 15 to 30 ft. high, cultivated in numberless varieties for its fruit. Var.lævis(Nectarine) has smooth-skinned fruit.
P. Americàna.P. Americàna.
P. Americàna.
2.Prùnus Americàna, Marsh. (Wild Yellow or Red Plum.) Leaves ovate or somewhat obovate, conspicuously pointed, coarsely or doubly serrate, very veiny, smooth when mature. Fruit with little or no bloom, ½ to 1 in. in diameter, yellow, orange, or red; skin tough and bitter. Stone with two sharp edges. A small, thorny tree, 8 to 20 ft. high, common in woodlands and on river-banks. Many improved varieties, some thornless, are in cultivation. Wood reddish color.
P. Alleghaniénsis.P. Alleghaniénsis.
P. Alleghaniénsis.
3.Prùnus Alleghaniénsis, Porter. (Alleghany Plum.) Leaves lanceolate to oblong-ovate, often long-acuminate, finely and sharply serrate, softly pubescent when young, smooth when old; fruit globose-ovoid, under ½ in., very dark purple, with a bloom; stone turgid, a shallow groove on one side and a broad, flat ridge on the other. A low, straggling bush, occasionally a tree, 3 to 15 ft. high. Mountains of Pennsylvania.
P. Chicàsa.P. Chicàsa.
P. Chicàsa.
4.Prùnus Chicàsa, Michx. (Chicasaw Plum.) Leaves long, narrow, almost lanceolate, acute, finely serrate, thin. Flowers on short stalks. Fruit globular, ½ to 2/3 in. in diameter, thin-skinned, without bloom, yellowish-red, pleasant to taste. Stone globular, without sharp edges. A thorny shrub or small tree, 6 to 15 ft. high; wild in New Jersey, west and south, and often cultivated.
P. spinòsa.P. spinòsa.
P. spinòsa.
5.Prùnus spinòsa, L. (Sloe. Blackthorn. Bullace Plum.) Leaves obovate-oblong to lance-oblong, sharply serrate, soon smooth; leafstalk smooth; fruit small, globular, black, with a bloom; the stone rounded, acute at one edge; flesh greenish, astringent. A low tree with thorny branches; it is becoming naturalized along roadsides and waste places; from Europe. Var.instititia(Bullace Plum) is less thorny, and has the leafstalk and lower side of the leaves pubescent.
P. doméstica.P. doméstica.
P. doméstica.
6.Prùnus doméstica, L. (Common Garden Plum.) Leaves 1 to 3 in. long, oval or ovate-lanceolate, acute to obtuse. Flowers white, nearly solitary. Drupe globular, obovoid to ovoid, of many colors (black, white, etc.), covered with a rich glaucous bloom. A small tree, 10 to 20 ft. high, in cultivation everywhere for its fruit. Over a hundred varieties are named in the catalogues.
P. Pennsylvánica.P. Pennsylvánica.
P. Pennsylvánica.
7.Prùnus Pennsylvánica, L. f. (Wild Red Cherry.) Leaves oblong-lanceolate, pointed, finely and sharply serrate, shining green, smooth on both sides. Flowers many in an umbel on long stems. Fruit round, light red, quite small, ¼ in. in diameter, sour. A small tree, 20 to 30 ft. high, in rocky woods; common north and extending southward along the Alleghanies to North Carolina.