P. àvium.P. àvium.
P. àvium.
8.Prùnus àvium, L. (Bird-cherry or English Cherry.) Leaves oval-lanceolate, sharp-pointed, coarsely or doubly serrate. Flowers in sessile umbels, opening when the leaves appear. Fruit of various colors, somewhat heart-shaped. This is the Cherry tree, 30 to 50 ft. high, of which there are many named varieties usually cultivated for the fruit.
P. Cérasus.P. Cérasus.
P. Cérasus.
9.Prùnus Cérasus, L. (Garden Red Cherry. Morello Cherry.) Leaves obovate and lance-ovate, serrate, on slender spreading branches. Flowers rather large. Fruit globular, bright red to dark purple, very sour; in sessile umbels. A small, round-headed tree, 10 to 30 ft. high, often cultivated. The preceding species and this one are the parents of most of the Cherry trees in cultivation.
P. serótina.P. serótina.
P. serótina.
10.Prùnus serótina, Ehrh. (Wild Black Cherry.) Leaves oblong or lance-oblong, thickish, smooth, usually taper-pointed, serrate, with incurved, short, thick teeth. Flowers in long racemes. June.Fruit as large as peas, purple-black, bitter; ripe in autumn. A fine tree, 15 to 60 ft. high, with reddish-brown branches. Wood reddish and valuable for cabinet-work. Common in woodlands and along fences.
P. Virginiàna.P. Virginiàna.
P. Virginiàna.
11.Prùnus Virginiàna, L. (Choke-cherry.) Leaves thin, oval-oblong or obovate, abruptly pointed, very sharply, often doubly serrate, with slender teeth. Racemes of flowers and fruit short and close. Fruit dark crimson, stone smooth. Flowers in May; fruit ripe in August; not edible till fully ripe. A tall shrub, sometimes a tree, with grayish bark. River-banks, common especially northward.
P. Pàdus.P. Pàdus.
P. Pàdus.
12.Prùnus Pàdus, L. (Small Bird-cherry.) Like Prunus Virginiana, excepting that the racemes are longer and drooping, and the stone is roughened. Occasionally planted for ornament.
Genus37. PỲRUS.
Trees and shrubs, with alternate, stipulate, simple, or pinnately compound leaves. Flowers conspicuous, white to pink, apple-blossom-shaped (5 petals); in spring. Fruit a fleshy pome, with the cells formed by papery or cartilaginous membranes within juicy flesh.
P. Màlus.P. Màlus.
P. Màlus.
1.Pỳrus Màlus, L. (Common Apple-tree.) Leaves simple, ovate, evenly crenate or serrate, smooth on the upper surface and woolly on the lower. Flowers large (1 in.), white, tinged with pink, in small corymbs. May. Fruit large, sunken at both ends, especially at base; ripe from August to October, according to variety. A flat-topped tree, 20 to 40 ft. high, cultivated in hundreds of named varieties; from Europe.
P. angustifòlia.P. angustifòlia.
P. angustifòlia.
2.Pỳrus angustifòlia, Ait. (Narrow-leaved Crab-apple.) Leaves simple, lanceolate or oblong, often acute at base, mostly serrate, smooth. Flowers large (2/3 in.), rose-colored, fragrant, in small, simple, umbel-like clusters. Fruit very sour, small (½ in.). Twigs lead-colored and speckled. A small tree, 12 to 20 ft. high. Pennsylvania and southward.
P. coronària.P. coronària.
P. coronària.
3.Pỳrus coronària, L. (American or Garland Crab-apple.) Leaves simple, ovate, often rather heart-shaped, cut-serrate, often 3-lobed, soon smooth. Flowers large (¾ in.), few, in a cluster, rose-colored, very fragrant. Fruit very sour and astringent, flattened, broad, 1 in. or more in diameter, yellowish green. Small tree, 10 to 25 ft. high; New York, west and south, also frequently cultivated.
P. commùnis.P. commùnis.
P. commùnis.
4.Pỳrus commùnis, L. (Common Pear-tree.) Leaves simple, ovate, serrate, smooth on both sides, at least when mature. Flowers large (over 1 in.), white, with purple anthers. April and May.Fruit large, usually obovate and mainly sunken at the large end; ripe July to October, according to the variety. A pyramidal-shaped tree, 30 to 70 ft. high, with smooth bark and often somewhat thorny branches. Of several hundred named varieties, native to Europe. Cultivated for its fruit. Wood slightly tinged with red; strong, and of fine grain.
P. vulgàris.P. vulgàris.
P. vulgàris.
5.Pỳrus vulgàris.(Quince. Common Quince-tree.) Leaves ovate, obtuse at base, entire, hairy beneath. Flowers solitary, large, 1 in., white or pale rose-color. Fruit large, hard, orange-yellow, of peculiar sour flavor; seeds mucilaginous; ripens in October. A low tree, 10 to 20 ft. high, with a crooked stem and rambling branches; from Europe. Several varieties in cultivation.
P. pinnatífida.P. pinnatífida.
P. pinnatífida.
6.Pỳrus pinnatífida, Ehrh. (Oak-leaved Mountain-ash.) Leaves pinnately cleft and often fully pinnate at base, hairy beneath. Pome globose, ¼ in., scarlet, ripe in autumn. A cultivated tree, 20 to 30 ft. high; from Europe.
P. Americàna.P. Americàna.
P. Americàna.
7.Pỳrus Americàna, DC. (American Mountain-ash.) Leaflets 13 to 15, lanceolate, bright green, nearly smooth, taper-pointed, sharply serrate with pointed teeth. Leaf-buds pointed, glabrous and somewhat glutinous. Flowers white, 1/3 in., in large, flat, compound cymes. In June. Fruit berry-like pomes, the size of small peas, bright scarlet when ripe in September, and hanging on the tree till winter. A tall shrub or tree, 15 to 30 ft. high, in swamps and mountain woods; more abundant northward. Often cultivated for the showy clusters of berries in autumn.
P. sambucifòlia.P. sambucifòlia.
P. sambucifòlia.
8.Pỳrus sambucifòlia, Cham. & Schlecht. (Elder-leaved Mountain-ash.) Leaflets oblong, oval or lance-ovate, obtuse(sometimes abruptly sharp-pointed), usually doubly serrate with rather spreading teeth, generally pale beneath. Leaf-buds somewhat hairy. Flowers and berries larger, but in smaller clusters, than the preceding species. The berries globose when ripe, 1/3 in. broad, bright red. This species, much like Pyrus Americana, is found wild in northern New England and westward.
P. aucupària.P. aucupària.
P. aucupària.
9.Pỳrus aucupària, Gaertn. (European Mountain-ash, or Rowan-tree.) Much like Pyrus Americana, but the leaflets are paler and more obtuse, with their lower surface downy. Leaf-buds blunter and densely covered with hairs. Flowers larger, ½ in. or more in diameter. Fruit also much larger, sometimes nearly ½ in. in diameter. Beautiful tree, 20 to 30 ft. high, often cultivated.
Genus38. CRATÆ̀GUS.
Thorny shrubs or small trees with simple, alternate, serrate, doubly serrate or lobed leaves. Flowers cherry-like blossoms, usually white in color and growing in corymbs, generally on the ends of side shoots; in spring. Fruit a berry or drupe with 1 to 5 bony stones, tipped with the 5 persistent calyx-teeth; ripe in autumn.
C. coccínea.C. coccínea.
C. coccínea.
1.Cratæ̀gus coccínea, L. (Scarlet-fruited Thorn.) Leaves bright green, smooth, thin, roundish-ovate, sharply cut-toothed or lobed, on slender petioles. Branches reddish, villous-pubescent; spines stout, chestnut-brown. Flowers large, ½ to 2/3 in., many in a corymb, on glandular peduncles. May to June. Fruit scarlet, round or pear-shaped, ½ in.; ripe in September, with from 1 to 5 cells and seeds. Tall shrub or low tree, 10 to 25 ft. high, in hedges and woods; common from Canada to Florida.
Var.mollishas the shoots densely pubescent; leaves large, slender-petioled, cuneate, cordate or truncate at base, usually with acute narrow lobes, often rough above, and more or less densely pubescent beneath. Flowers large, 1 in.; fruit light scarlet with a light bloom, 1 in. broad.
C. Crus-gálli.C. Crus-gálli.
C. Crus-gálli.
2.Cratæ̀gus Crus-gálli, L. (Cockspur Thorn.) Leaves smooth, thick, shining above, wedge-obovate, finely serrate above the middle, with a short petiole. There are broad and narrow-leaved varieties. Flowers large and numerous, in lateral corymbs. May to June. Fruit globular, 1/3 in. broad, dull red; ripe in September and October. A small tree with a flat, bushy head, horizontal branches, and long, sharp thorns. Wild and common throughout, and often planted.
C. oxyacántha.C. oxyacántha.
C. oxyacántha.
3.Cratæ̀gus oxyacántha.(English Hawthorn.) Leaves obovate, smooth, wedge-shaped at base, cut-lobed andtoothed above. No glands. Flowers medium-sized, ½ in., single or double, white, rose, or pink-red, numerous in corymbs. In spring. Fruit coral-red, 1/3 in.; ripe in autumn. A small tree or shrub, fine for lawn; from Europe; also escaped in some places.
C. apiifólia.C. apiifólia.
C. apiifólia.
4.Cratæ̀gus apiifólia, Michx. (Parsley-leaved Thorn.) Leaves small, ovate, with a broad truncate or heart-shaped base, pinnatifid into 5 to 7 crowded, irregularly toothed lobes; white and soft-downy when young, smoothish when grown; petioles slender. Flowers medium-sized, ½ in., many in a corymb, white. May to June. Fruit small, 1/3 in., coral-red, ripe in autumn. A handsome, low (10 to 20 ft. high), spreading tree, with flexible branches and white-downy twigs. Virginia and south, in moist woods.
C. spathulàta.C. spathulàta.
C. spathulàta.
5.Cratæ̀gus spathulàta, Michx. (Spatulate-leaved Thorn.) Leaves almost evergreen, thick, shining, spatulate, crenate toward the apex and nearly sessile, those on the young downy branches somewhat cut or lobed. Flowers small, ½ in., in large clusters. May. Fruit small, ¼ in., bright red; ripe in October. A small tree, 12 to 25 ft. high; Virginia and south.
C. cordàta.C. cordàta.
C. cordàta.
6.Cratæ̀gus cordàta, Ait. (Washington Thorn.) Leaves broadly triangular-ovate, somewhat heart-shaped, thin, deep shining green, smooth, often 3- to 5-lobed and serrate, on slender petioles. Flowers small, 2/5 in., many in terminal corymbs, white. May, June. Fruit scarlet, about the size of peas; ripe in September. A compact, close-headed, small tree, 15 to 25 ft. high, with many slender thorns. Virginia, Kentucky, and southward. Sometimes planted in the North for hedges.
C. víridis.C. víridis.
C. víridis.
7.Cratæ̀gus víridis, L. (Tall Hawthorn.) Leaves ovate to ovate-oblong,or lanceolate, or oblong-obovate, mostly acute at both ends, on slender petioles; acutely serrate, often somewhat lobed and often downy in the axils. Flowers numerous, in large clusters. Fruit bright red, or orange, ovoid, small, ¼ in. broad. A small tree, 20 to 30 ft. high, with few large thorns or without thorns. Southern Illinois and Missouri, along the Mississippi and in the Southern States.
C. tomentòsa.C. tomentòsa.
C. tomentòsa.
8.Cratægus tomentòsa, L. (Black or Pear Hawthorn.) Leaves downy-pubescent on the lower side (at least when young), thickish, rather large, oval or ovate-oblong, sharply toothed and often cut-lobed below, abruptly narrowed into a margined petiole, the upper surface impressed along the main veins or ribs. Branches gray. Flowers ill-scented, many in a corymb. Fruit ½ in. long, obovate to globose, dull red. Shrub or tree, 10 to 30 ft. high, wild in western New York, west and south.
C. punctàta.C. punctàta.
C. punctàta.
9.Cratæ̀gus punctàta.(Dotted-fruited Hawthorn.) Leaves rather small, mostly wedge-obovate, attenuate and entire below, unequally toothed above, rarely lobed, villous-pubescent, becoming smooth but dull, the veins prominent beneath and impressed above. Fruit globose, large, 1 in. broad, red to bright yellow; peduncles not glandular. Shrub to tree, 10 to 20 ft. high, with horizontal branches; Canada to Georgia.
C. flàva.C. flàva.
C. flàva.
10.Cratæ̀gus flàva, Ait. (Yellow or Summer Haw.) Leaves small, wedge-obovate, unequally toothed and cut above the middle; on short petioles; the teeth, stipules and petioles glandular. Flowers mostly solitary, white, large (¾ in). May. Fruit usually pear-shaped, quite large (¾ in. long), yellow or greenish-yellow, sometimes tinged or spotted with red, pleasant-flavored. Ripe in autumn. A low spreading tree, 15 to 20 ft. high. Virginia, south and west, in sandy soil.
Var.pubescensis downy-or villous-pubescent when young, and has thicker leaves and larger and redder fruit.
Genus39. AMELÁNCHIER.
Small trees or shrubs with simple, deciduous, alternate, sharply serrate leaves; cherry-blossom-like, white flowers, in racemes at the end of the branches, before the leaves are fully expanded. Fruit a small apple-like pome; seeds 10 or less, in separate cartilaginous-coated cells.
A. Canadénsis.A. Canadénsis.
A. Canadénsis.
Amelánchier Canadénsis, Torr. & Gray. (Shad-bush. Service-berry.) A very variable species with many named varieties. The leaves, 1 to 3½ in. long, vary from narrow-oblong to roundish or cordate; bracts and stipules silky-ciliate. Flowers large, in drooping racemes, in early spring, with petals from 2 to 5 times as long as wide. Fruit globular, ½ in. broad, purplish, sweet, edible; ripe in June. It varies from a low shrub to a middle-sized tree, 5 to 30 ft. high.
OrderXIX. HAMAMELÍDEÆ.
(Witch-Hazel Family.)
A small family of trees and shrubs represented in most countries.
Genus40. HAMAMÈLIS.
Tall shrubs, rarely tree-like, with alternate, straight-veined, 2-ranked, oval, wavy-margined leaves. Flowers conspicuous, yellow, 4-parted; blooming in the autumn while the leaves are dropping, and continuing in bloom through part of the winter. Fruit rounded capsules which do not ripen till the next summer.
H. Virginiána.H. Virginiána.
H. Virginiána.
Hamamèlis Virginiána, L. (Witch-hazel.) The only species; 10 to 30 ft. high; rarely grows with a single trunk, but usually forms a slender, crooked-branched shrub. Flowers sessile, in small clusters of 3 to 4, in an involucre in the axils of the leaves.
Genus41. LIQUIDÁMBAR.
Trees with alternate, simple, palmately cleft leaves. Flowers inconspicuous; in spring. Fruit a large (1 in.), globular, long-stalked, dry, open, rough catkin, hanging on the tree through the winter.
L. Styracíflua.L. Styracíflua.
L. Styracíflua.
Liquidámbar Styracíflua, L. (Sweet Gum. Bilsted.) Leaves rounded, deeply 5- to 7-cleft, star-shaped, dark green, smooth and shining, glandular-serrate. Twigs often covered with corky ridges. A large, beautiful tree, 30 to 70 ft. high, with deeply furrowed bark. Connecticut, west and south; abundant south of 40° N. Lat. Well worthy of more extensive cultivation than it has yet received.
OrderXX. LYTHRÀCEÆ.
(Loosestrife Family.)
A small order of shrubs, herbs, or trees; mainly tropical.
Genus42. PÙNICA.
Leaves simple, usually opposite, deciduous; flowers scarlet, with 5 petals and numerous stamens; fruit a many-seeded berry.
P. granàtum.P. granàtum.
P. granàtum.
Pùnica granàtum, L. (Pomegranate-tree.) Leaves opposite, lanceolate, smooth, entire; flowers large, both calyx and corolla scarlet and very ornamental; the fruit as large as an orange, fine-flavored. A tree-shaped plant, growing to the height of 20 ft. in the Southern States. If given some protection, it can be grown as far north as Washington. It has been cultivated from the earliest times, and is probably a native of western Asia.
Genus43. LAGERSTRŒ̀MIA.
Flowers with 6 long-clawed petals inserted on the broadly spreading calyx; fruit 3- to 6-celled pods with many winged seeds.
L. Índica.L. Índica.
L. Índica.
Lagerstrœ̀mia Índica, L. (Crape-myrtle.) Leaves roundish-ovate, thick, smooth, short-petiolate; branches winged; flowers in terminal clusters with large, delicately crisped, long-stemmed petals of pink, purple, and other colors. A beautiful small tree, or usually a shrub, from India; often cultivated in the North in conservatories; hardy as far north as Washington.
OrderXXI. ARALIÀCEÆ.(Ginseng Family.)
A small order of herbs, shrubs, and trees, here represented by the following genus:
Genus44. ARÀLIA.
Herbs, shrubs, or trees, with pinnately or palmately compound leaves; here including Acanthopanax with palmately cleft leaves. Flowers whitish or greenish, in umbels, often forming large panicles. Fruit small, berry-like, several-celled, several-seeded.
A. spinòsa.A. spinòsa.
A. spinòsa.
1.Aràlia spinòsa, L. (Angelica-tree. Hercules'-Club.) Leaves large, crowded at the summit of the stem,twice or sometimes thrice odd-pinnate, usually prickly, with sessile, ovate, acuminate, deeply serrate leaflets, glaucous beneath. Large panicles of small whitish flowers in umbels, with involucres of few leaves. Berry small, ¼ in., 5-ribbed, crowned with the remains of the calyx. A tree-like plant, 8 to 12 ft. high, or in the Gulf States 30 ft. high, with the stem covered with numerous prickles. Usually dies to the ground after flowering. Wild in damp woods, Pennsylvania and south, and cultivated in the North.
A. Chinénsis.A. Chinénsis.
A. Chinénsis.
2.Aràlia Chinénsis.Leaves more or less fully twice-pinnate; leaflets ovate-oblong, oblique at base, acuminate, sharply serrate, hairy. Flowers and fruit in large, branching, hairy panicles; thorns few, straight. A small tree, 10 to 15 ft. high; occasionally cultivated; from China.
A. Maximowíczii.A. Maximowíczii.
A. Maximowíczii.
3.Aràlia (Acanthópanax) Maximowíczii.Leaves long-petioled, simple, thick, palmately cleft, with 7 serrate lobes; old leaves smooth, the young with woolly bases. Panicles of flowers and fruit terminal; the berries striated. Tree-trunk usually quite prickly. This species is said to grow 50 ft. high in Japan. It has been recently introduced, and proves perfectly hardy in Massachusetts.
OrderXXII. CORNÀCEÆ.(Dogwood Family.)
A small order of shrubs and trees (rarely herbs) of temperate regions.
Genus45. CÓRNUS.
Small trees or shrubs (one species an herb) with simple, entire, curved-veined, and (except in one species) opposite leaves. The curved parallel ribs of the leaves in all the species are quite peculiar and readily recognized. Flowers small, of 4 petals, in some species rendered very conspicuous by large bracts. Fruit small, usually bright-colored drupes in clusters; ripe from August to October. There are but 3 species that grow at all tree-like.
C. flórida.C. flórida.
C. flórida.
1.Córnus flórida, L. (Flowering Dogwood.) Leaves ovate, pointed, acutish at base. Flowers in a head surrounded by 4 white bracts, making the whole cluster look like a single large flower 3 in. broad. Abundant in May and June. Fruit a small, bright red drupe with a single 2-seeded nut. Ripe in August. A large shrub or low tree 15 to 40 ft. high, with broad, roundish head. Common on high ground throughout, and one of the finest small trees in cultivation. A variety with the bracts quite red is also cultivated.
C. álba.C. álba.
C. álba.
2.Córnus álba, L. (Siberian Red-stemmed Cornel.) Leaves broadly ovate, acute, densely pubescent beneath; drupes white; branches recurved, bright red, rendering the plant a conspicuous object in the winter. A shrub rather than a tree, cultivated from Siberia; hardy throughout.
C. máscula.C. máscula.
C. máscula.
3.Córnus máscula, Dur. (Cornelian Cherry.) Leaves opposite, oval-acuminate, rather pubescent on both surfaces. Flowers small, yellow, in umbels from a 4-leaved involucre, blooming before the leaves are out in spring. Fruit oval, ½ in. long, cornelian-colored, ripe in autumn, rather sweet, used in confectionery. A large shrub or low tree, 8 to 15ft. high, with hard, tough, flexible wood, sometimes cultivated for its early flowers and late, beautiful fruit.
C. alternifòlia.C. alternifòlia.
C. alternifòlia.
4.Córnus alternifòlia, L. f. (Alternate-leaved Cornel.) Leaves alternate, clustered at the ends of the branches, ovate or oval-acuminate, tapering at base, whitish with minute pubescence beneath. Cymes of flowers and fruit broad and open. Fruit deep blue on reddish stalks. Shrub, though occasionally tree-like, 8 to 25 ft. high; on hillsides throughout; rarely cultivated.
Genus46. NÝSSA.
Trees with deciduous, alternate, exstipulate, usually entire leaves, mostly acute at both ends. Flowers somewhat diœcious, i.e. staminate and pistillate flowers on separate trees. The staminate flowers are quite conspicuous because so densely clustered. April and May. Fruit on but a portion of the trees, consisting of one or two small (¼ to ½ in.), drupes in the axils of the leaves. Stone roughened with grooves. Ripe in autumn.
N. sylvática.N. sylvática.
N. sylvática.
1.Nýssa sylvática, Marsh. (Pepperidge. Black or Sour Gum.) Leaves oval to obovate, pointed, entire (sometimes angulate-toothed beyond the middle), rather thick, shining above when old, 2 to 5 in. long. The leaves are crowded near the ends of the branches and flattened so as to appear 2-ranked, like the Beech; turning bright crimson in the autumn. Fruit ovoid, bluish-black, about ½ in. long, sour. Medium-sizedtree with mainly an excurrent trunk and horizontal branches. Wood firm, close-grained and hard to split. Rich soil, latitude of Albany and southward. Difficult to transplant, so it is rarely cultivated.
2.Nýssa biflòra, Walt. (Sour Gum.) Leaves 1 to 3 in. long, smaller than in N. sylvatica; fertile flowers and fruit 1 to 3, in the axils; stone decidedly flattened and more strongly furrowed. New Jersey to Tennessee and southward. Too nearly like the last to need a drawing. All the species of Nyssa may have the margin of the leaves somewhat angulated, as shown in the next.
N. uniflòra.N. uniflòra.
N. uniflòra.
3.Nýssa uniflòra, Wang. (Large Tupelo.) Leaves much larger, 4 to 12 in. long, sometimes slightly cordate at base, entire or angularly toothed, downy beneath. Fruit solitary, oblong, blue, 1 in. or more in length. Wood soft, that of the roots light and spongy and used for corks. In water or wet swamps; Virginia, Kentucky, and southward.
OrderXXIII. CAPRIFOLIÀCEÆ.
(Honeysuckle Family.)
Shrubs (rarely herb or tree-like plants) of temperate regions.
Genus47. VIBÚRNUM.
Shrubs or small trees with opposite, simple, petioled leaves. Flowers light-colored, small but in large, conspicuous, flat-topped clusters at the ends of the branches; blooming in early summer. Fruit small, 1-seeded drupes with flattened stones; ripe in autumn.
V. Ópulus.V. Ópulus.
V. Ópulus.
1.Vibúrnum Ópulus, L. (Cranberry-tree.) Leaves palmately veined and strongly 3-lobed, broadly wedge-shaped or truncate at base, the spreading lobes mostly toothed on the sides and entire in the notches; petiole with 2 glands at the apex. Fruit in peduncled clusters, light red and quite sour (whence the name "Cranberry-tree"). A nearly smooth, small tree or shrub, 4 to 12 ft. high; wild along streams, and cultivated under the name of Snowball-tree or Guelder Rose. In this variety the flowers have all become sterile and enlarged.Vibúrnum acerifòlium(Arrow-wood) has also lobed leaves, and is much more common. This species never forms a tree, and has dark-colored berries.
V. dentàtum.V. dentàtum.
V. dentàtum.
2.Vibúrnum dentàtum, L. (Arrow-wood.) Leaves, pale green, broadly ovate, somewhat heart-shaped at base, coarsely and sharply dentated, strongly veined and often with hairy tufts in the axils; petioles rather long and slender. Fruit ¼ in. long, in peduncled clusters, blue or purple; a cross-section of the stone between kidney-and horseshoe-shaped. A shrub or small tree, 5 to 15 ft. high, with ash-colored bark; in wet places.
V. Lentàgo.V. Lentàgo.
V. Lentàgo.
3.Vibúrnum Lentàgo, L. (Sweet Viburnum or Sheep-berry.) Leaves broad, ovate, long-pointed, 2 to 3 in. long, closely and sharply serrated; petioles long and with narrow, curled margins; entire plant smooth. Fruit in sessile clusters of 3 to 5 rays, oval, large, ½ in. long, blue-black, edible, sweet; ripe in autumn. A small tree, 10 to 30 ft. high; found wild throughout, in woods and along streams.
V. prunifòlium.V. prunifòlium.
V. prunifòlium.
4.Vibúrnum prunifòlium, L. (Black Haw.) Leaves oval, obtuse or slightly pointed, 1 to 2 in. long, finely and sharply serrated. Blooming early,May to June. Fruit oval, large (½ in. long), in sessile clusters of 3 to 5 rays, black or blue-black, sweet. A tall shrub or small tree, 6 to 12 ft. high; in dry soil or along streams; New York, south and west.
Genus48. LONÍCERA.
Leaves entire, opposite; corolla 5-lobed; berry several-seeded.
L. Tartárica.L. Tartárica.
L. Tartárica.
Lonícera Tartárica. (Tartarian Honey-suckle.) Leaves deciduous, oval, heart-shaped; flowers in pairs, showy, pink to rose-red; in spring; berries formed of the two ovaries, bright red; ripe in summer. A shrub, often planted and occasionally trimmed to a tree-like form, and growing to the height of nearly 20 ft.
OrderXXIV. COMPÓSITÆ.
This, the largest order of flowering plants, is made up almost exclusively of herbaceous plants, but contains one shrub or low tree which is hardy from Boston southward near the Atlantic coast.
Genus49. BÁCCHARIS.
Leaves simple, deciduous; heads of flowers small, many-flowered; receptacle naked; pappus of hairs.
B. halimifòlia.B. halimifòlia.
B. halimifòlia.
Báccharis halimifòlia, L. (Groundsel-Tree.) Leaves obovate, wedge-shaped, crenately notched at end, light grayish in color, with whitish powder; branches angled; flowers white with a tint of purple, blooming in the autumn. A broad, loose-headed, light-colored bush rather than a tree, 8 to 15 ft. high; wild on sea-beaches, Massachusetts and south, and occasionally cultivated. The plant is diœcious; the fertile specimens are rendered quite conspicuous in autumn by their very long, white pappus.
OrderXXV. ERICÀCEÆ.(Heath Family.)
A large order, mainly of shrubs, though a few species are herbs, and fewer still are tall enough to be considered trees.
Genus50. OXYDÉNDRUM.
Trees with deciduous, alternate, oblong-lanceolate, pointed, serrate, sour-tasting leaves. Flowers small, in large panicles at the ends of the branches. In summer. Fruit small, dry capsules, with 5 cells and many seeds.
O. arbòreum.O. arbòreum.
O. arbòreum.
Oxydéndrum arbòreum, DC. (Sorrel-tree. Sourwood.) Leaves in size and shape much like those of Peach trees. Flowers small, urn-shaped. Small-sized tree, 15 to 50 ft. high; wild in rich woods, Pennsylvania and southward, mainly in the mountains. Rare in cultivation, but very beautiful, especially in autumn, when its leaves are brilliantly colored, and the panicles of fruit still remain on the trees. It is perfectly hardy both at the Arnold Arboretum, Boston, and the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis.
Genus51. KÁLMIA.
Evergreen shrubs with alternate, entire, thick, smooth leaves. Flowers large, beautiful, cup-shaped, in showy clusters. Fruit a small, 5-celled, many-seeded capsule.
K. latifòlia.K. latifòlia.
K. latifòlia.
Kálmia latifòlia, L. (Mountain-laurel. Calico-bush.) The only species which grows at all tree-like has ovate-lanceolate or elliptical, smooth, petioled leaves, tapering at both ends and green on both sides. Flowers in terminal corymbs, clammy-pubescent, white to pink. June. Pod depressed, glandular. Shrub or small tree, 4 to 25 ft. high, with reddish twigs; wild in rocky hills and damp soils through out; occasionally planted. Wood very hard and close-grained.
Genus52. RHODODÉNDRON.
Shrubs or low trees with usually alternate, entire leaves and showy flowers in umbel-like clusters from large, scaly-bracted, terminal buds. Fruit a dry 5-celled pod with many seeds.