variable, ovate to semi-orbicular, often 3-5-lobed; coarsely serrate;
thin; dark blue-green and smooth or rough above, pale and more or less
downy beneath; petioles 1-2 inches long, smooth, exuding a milky juice
when cut.
FLOWERS.--May, with the leaves; monoecious or dioecious; the staminate in
dense spikes 1-2 inches long, on short, hairy peduncles; the pistillate
in dense spikes about 1 inch long, on short, hairy peduncles; calyx
4-lobed, hairy; corolla 0; stamens 4, with green anthers; stigmas 2,
spreading.
FRUIT.--July; 1 inch long; consisting of drupes about 1/32 inch long,
each inclosed in a thickened, fleshy calyx; berry-like; bright red at
first, finally blackish; sweet, juicy, edible.
WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud absent; lateral buds ovoid, abruptly pointed,
1/4 inch long, lustrous, light brown.
BARK.--Twigs greenish and more or less downy, becoming smooth and
brownish; trunk dark brown tinged with red and more or less furrowed.
WOOD.--Light, soft, weak, rather tough, coarse-grained, very durable,
pale orange, with thick, lighter colored sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Southern portion of the Lower Peninsula, as far north as
the Muskegon river.
HABITAT.--Prefers rich soil in river-bottoms.
NOTES.--Easily transplanted. Grows rapidly in good, moist soil.
[Illustration: +Tulip Poplar. Tulip-tree. White-wood+
1. Winter twig, × 1.
2. Leaf, × 1/2.
3. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
4. Fruit (opened and partly disseminated), × 1/2.]
+MAGNOLIACEAE+
+Tulip Poplar. Tulip-tree. White-wood+
_Liriodendron tulipifera L._
HABIT.--A large tree 70-100 feet high, with a columnar trunk 2-5 feet in
diameter; forming a rather open, conical crown of slender branches.
LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 5-6 inches long and broad; 4-lobed; entire;
lustrous, dark green above, pale or glaucous beneath, turning clear
yellow in autumn; petioles slender, angled, 5-6 inches long.
FLOWERS.--May-June, after the leaves; perfect; terminal; solitary on
stout peduncles; tulip-shaped, greenish yellow, 1-1/2-2 inches long;
sepals 3, greenish, early deciduous; petals 6, in 2 rows, greenish
yellow with an orange spot at the base, early deciduous; stamens
numerous, somewhat shorter than the petals; pistils numerous, clinging
together about a central axis; ovary 1-celled.
FRUIT.--September-October; a narrow, light brown cone 2-1/2-3 inches
long, composed of numerous carpels; carpels long, flat, with a
1-2-seeded nutlet at the base, separating from the slender spindle at
maturity.
WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud 1/2-1 inch long, obtuse, flattish, dark red,
covered with a glaucous bloom.
BARK.--Twigs smooth, lustrous, reddish, becoming brownish, and at length
gray; ashy gray, thin and scaly on young trunks, becoming thick,
brownish, and deeply furrowed with age.
WOOD.--Light, soft, brittle, weak, easily worked, light yellow or brown,
with thin, cream-white sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Lower Peninsula south of the Grand River. Formerly common,
but becoming rare.
HABITAT.--Prefers deep, rich, rather moist soil, but adapts itself
readily to any good, light soil.
NOTES.--Difficult to transplant, but rapid of growth when once
established. Not disfigured by insect enemies. Good for ornamental
planting.
[Illustration: +Sassafras+
1. Winter twig, × 1.
2. Portion of twig, enlarged.
3. Leaves, × 1/2.
4. Staminate flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
5. Staminate flower, enlarged.
6. Pistillate flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
7. Pistillate flower, enlarged.
8. Fruit, × 1/2.]
+LAURACEAE+
+Sassafras+
_Sassafras variifolium (Salisb.) Ktse._ [_Sassafras sassafras (L.)
Karst._] [_Sassafras officinale Nees & Eberm._]
HABIT.--Usually a large shrub, but often a small tree 20-40 feet high,
with a trunk diameter of 10-20 inches; stout, often contorted branches
and a bushy spray form a flat, rather open crown.
LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 3-6 inches long, 2-4 inches broad; oval to
oblong or obovate; entire or 1-3-lobed with deep, broad sinuses and
finger-like lobes; thin; dull dark green above, paler beneath; petioles
slender, about 1 inch long.
FLOWERS.--May, with the leaves; dioecious; greenish yellow; on slender
pedicels, in loose, drooping, few-flowered racemes 2 inches long; calyx
deeply 6-lobed, yellow-green; corolla 0; stamens of staminate flower 9,
in 3 rows, of pistillate flower 6, in 1 row; ovary 1-celled.
FRUIT.--September-October; an oblong-globose, lustrous, dark blue berry,
3/8 inch long, surrounded at the base by the scarlet calyx, borne on
club-shaped, bright red pedicels.
WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal buds 1/3 inch long, ovoid, acute, greenish,
soft-pubescent, flower-bearing; lateral buds much smaller, sterile or
leaf-bearing. Aromatic.
BARK.--Twigs glabrous, lustrous, yellow-green, spicy-aromatic, becoming
red-brown and shallowly fissured when 2-3 years old; thick, dark
red-brown and deeply and irregularly fissured into firm, flat ridges on
old trunks.
WOOD.--Soft, weak, brittle, coarse-grained, very durable in the soil,
aromatic, dull orange-brown, with thin, light yellow sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Southern portion of Lower Peninsula as far north as
Grayling.
HABITAT.--Prefers well-drained, stony or sandy soil; woods; abandoned
fields; peaty swamps.
NOTES.--Rapid of growth. Suckers freely. Difficult to transplant.
Propagated easily from seed.
[Illustration: +Sycamore. Button-wood. Buttonball-tree+
1. Winter twig, × 1.
2. Portion of twig, side view, × 1.
3. Vertical section of twig, summer
bud and leaf petiole, enlarged.
4. Leaf, × 3/8.
5. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
6. Staminate flower, enlarged.
7. Pistillate flower, enlarged.
8. Fruit, × 3/8.
9. Achene, enlarged.]
+PLATANACEAE+
+Sycamore. Button-wood. Buttonball-tree+
_Platanus occidentalis L._
HABIT.--A large tree 70-100 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 3-8 feet;
commonly dividing near the ground into several large secondary trunks,
forming a broad, open, irregular crown of massive, spreading branches.
LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 5-10 inches long and broad; broadly ovate in
outline; more or less 3-5-lobed by broad, shallow sinuses, the lobes
sinuate-toothed; thin and firm; bright green above, paler beneath,
glabrous both sides; petioles stout, puberulous, 1-2 inches long.
FLOWERS.--May, with the leaves; monoecious; borne in dense heads; the
staminate dark red, on short, axillary peduncles; the pistillate
greenish, on long, slender, terminal peduncles; sepals 3-6, minute;
petals 3-6, minute; stamens 3-6, usually 4; styles long, incurved, red.
FRUIT.--October, persistent on the limbs through the winter; brown heads
about 1 inch in diameter, on slender, glabrous stems 3-6 inches long.
WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud absent; lateral buds 1/4-3/8 inch long,
conical, blunt, lustrous, pale brown; forming in summer within the
petiole of the leaf.
BARK.--Twigs pale green and tomentose, becoming smooth, dark green,
finally grayish; thick, red-brown on the trunk and broken into oblong,
plate-like scales, separating higher up into thin plates which peel off,
exposing the greenish or yellowish inner bark.
WOOD.--Heavy, tough, hard, rather weak, coarse-grained, difficult to
split, light red-brown, with thick, darker colored sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Lower Peninsula as far north as Roscommon County.
HABITAT.--Prefers rich bottom-lands along the borders of rivers and
lakes.
NOTES.--Rapid of growth. Bears transplanting well. Often planted as a
shade tree. Fungous diseases disfigure it seriously.
+SUMMER KEY TO THE SPECIES OF PYRUS+
a. Leaves simple; fruit a light green pome an inch or more in
diameter; branches contorted, bearing many short, spur-like
branchlets. _P. coronaria_, p. 145.
aa. Leaves compound; fruit berry-like, 1/4 inch in diameter,
bright red; branches not contorted, not bearing many short,
spur-like branchlets. _P. americana_, p. 147.
+WINTER KEY TO THE SPECIES OF PYRUS+
a. Bundle-scars 3 or in 3 compound, but distinct groups; buds
1/8-1/4 inch long; branches contorted, bearing many short,
spur-like branchlets; fruit a pome an inch or more in diameter,
light green. _P. coronaria_, p. 145.
aa. Bundle-scars 4-many in a single U-shaped line, not forming
3 distinct groups; buds about 1/2 inch long; branches not
contorted, not bearing many short, spur-like branchlets; fruit
berry-like, 1/4 inch in diameter, bright red. _P. americana_,
p. 147.
[Illustration: +Sweet Crab. American Crab+
1. Winter twig, × 1.
2. Portion of twig, enlarged.
3. Leaf, × 3/4.
4. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
5. Vertical section of flower
with petals removed, × 1/2.
6. Fruit, × 1/2.]
+ROSACEAE+
+Sweet Crab. American Crab+
_Pyrus coronaria L._ [_Malus coronaria Mill._]
HABIT.--Often a bushy shrub, but frequently a small tree 15-25 feet high,
with a trunk 8-12 inches in diameter; forming a broad, rounded crown of
rigid, contorted branches bearing many short, spur-like branchlets.
LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 3-4 inches long, almost as broad; ovate to
nearly triangular; sharply and deeply serrate, sometimes lobed;
membranaceous; bright green above, paler beneath, glabrous both sides;
petioles long, slender, often with two dark glands near the middle.
FLOWERS.--May, after the leaves; perfect; 1-1/2-2 inches across; very
fragrant; borne on slender pedicels in 5-6-flowered umbels; calyx
urn-shaped, 5-lobed, tomentose; petals 5, rose colored to white; stamens
10-20; ovary hairy; styles 5.
FRUIT.--October; a depressed-globose pome, 1-1-1/2 inches in diameter,
pale green, very fragrant, with a waxy surface.
WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud 1/8-1/4 inch long, obtuse, bright red; lateral
buds smaller.
BARK.--Twigs at first hoary-tomentose, becoming glabrous, red-brown;
thin, red-brown, breaking into longitudinal fissures on the trunk.
WOOD.--Heavy, rather soft, close-grained, weak, red-brown, with thick,
yellow sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Southern portion of the Lower Peninsula as far north as
Roscommon County.
HABITAT.--Rich, moist, but well-drained soil in thickets and along
streams.
NOTES.--An excellent ornamental tree or shrub for small gardens and
shrubberies. The fruit is sometimes gathered for making preserves.
[Illustration: +Mountain Ash+
1. Winter twig, × 1.
2. Portion of twig, enlarged.
3. Leaf, × 1/3.
4. Vertical section of flower, enlarged.
5. Portion of a fruiting cyme, × 1.]
+ROSACEAE+
+Mountain Ash+
_Pyrus americana (Marsh.) DC._ [_Sorbus americana Marsh._]
HABIT.--A small tree 15-20 feet high, with a trunk diameter of not over a
foot; branches slender, spreading, forming a narrow, rounded crown.
LEAVES.--Alternate, compound, 6-9 inches long. Leaflets 9-17, 2-3 inches
long and 1/2-3/4 inch broad; sessile or nearly so, except the terminal;
lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, taper-pointed; finely and sharply
serrate above the entire base; membranaceous; glabrous, dark
yellow-green above, paler beneath, turning clear yellow in autumn.
Petioles slender, grooved, enlarged at the base.
FLOWERS.--May-June, after the leaves; perfect; 1/8 inch across; borne on
short, stout pedicels in many-flowered, flat cymes 3-5 inches across;
calyx urn-shaped, 5-lobed, puberulous; petals 5, white; stamens
numerous; styles 2-3.
FRUIT.--October, but persistent on the tree throughout the winter; a
berry-like pome, subglobose, 1/4 inch in diameter, bright red, with
thin, acid flesh; eaten by birds in the absence of other food.
WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud about 1/2 inch long, ovoid, acute, with curved
apex; lateral buds smaller, appressed; scales rounded on the back,
purplish red, more or less pilose above, gummy.
BARK.--Twigs at first red-brown and hairy, becoming glabrous, dark brown;
thin, light gray-brown on the trunk, smooth, or slightly roughened on
old trees; inner bark fragrant.
WOOD.--Light, soft, close-grained, weak, pale brown, with thick, lighter
colored sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Ludington and northward, principally along the shore of L.
Michigan, but common throughout the Upper Peninsula.
HABITAT.--Prefers rich, moist soil on river-banks and on the borders of
cold swamps; rocky hillsides and mountains.
NOTES.--More often a shrub. Easily transplanted, but slow of growth. One
of the most beautiful trees of our northern forests.
[Illustration: +Serviceberry+
1. Winter twig, × 1.
2. Portion of twig, enlarged.
3. Leaf, × 1.
4. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
5. Vertical section of flower, enlarged.
6. Fruiting branchlet, × 1/2.]
+ROSACEAE+
+Serviceberry+
_Amelanchier canadensis (L.) Medic._
HABIT.--A small tree 25-40 feet in height, with a tall trunk 6-12 inches
in diameter; forming a narrow, rounded crown of many small limbs and
slender branchlets.
LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 3-4 inches long and about one-half as broad;
ovate to obovate; finely and sharply serrate; glabrous, dark green
above, paler beneath; petioles slender, about 1 inch long.
FLOWERS.--April, when the leaves are about one-third grown; perfect;
large, white, borne in drooping racemes 3-5 inches long; calyx 5-cleft,
campanulate, villous on the inner surface; petals 5, strap-shaped,
white, about 1 inch in length; stamens numerous; styles 5, united below.
FRUIT.--June-August; globular, berry-like pome, 1/3-1/2 inch long;
turning from bright red to dark purple with slight bloom; sweet and
edible when ripe.
WINTER-BUDS.--Yellow-brown, narrow-ovoid to conical, sharp-pointed,
1/4-1/2 inch long; bud-scales apiculate, slightly pubescent.
BARK.--Twigs smooth, light green, becoming red-brown; thin, pale
red-brown on the trunk, smoothish or divided by shallow fissures into
narrow, longitudinal, scaly ridges.
WOOD.--Heavy, very hard, strong, close-grained, dark red-brown, with
thick, lighter colored sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Common throughout the state.
HABITAT.--Prefers rich soil of dry, upland woods and hillsides.
NOTES.--Hardy throughout the state. Grows in all soils and situations
except in wet lands.
[Illustration: +Dotted Haw+
_Crataegus punctata Jacq._
1. Winter twig, × 1.
2. Leaf, × 1.
3. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
4. Vertical section of flower, enlarged.
5. Fruit, × 1.]
+ROSACEAE+
+The Haws, Thorns, Hawthorns or Thorn-apples+
_Crataegus L._
Owing to the complexity of the various forms in this group, the present
state of uncertainty as to the value of certain characters, and the
questionable validity of many of the assigned names, it is thought to be
beyond the scope of this bulletin to give more than a general
description of the group as a whole, recommending the more ambitious
student to the various manuals and botanical journals and papers for
more detailed information.
The _Crataegi_ are generally low, wide-spreading trees or shrubs, with
strong, tortuous branches and more or less zigzag branchlets usually
armed with stiff, sharp thorns. The bark varies from dark red to gray
and is shallowly fissured or scaly. The leaves are alternate, simple,
generally serrate, often lobed, with short or long petioles. The flowers
appear in May or June, with or after the leaves, in simple or compound
corymbs, whitish or pinkish, perfect. The fruit is a red to yellow,
sometimes blue or black pome, subglobose to pear-shaped, with usually
dry and mealy flesh and 1-5 seeds. The winter-buds are small, nearly
globose, lustrous brown. _Crataegus_ produces wood which is heavy, hard,
tough, close-grained, red-brown, with thick, pale sapwood. The Haws are
trees of the pasture-lands, the roadside, the open woods and the
stream-banks, and are more common in the southern than in the northern
portions of the state. Some of the species are desirable as ornaments in
parks and gardens on account of their beautiful and abundant flowers and
showy fruits.
+SUMMER KEY TO THE SPECIES OF PRUNUS+
a. Leaves oblong-ovate to obovate, abruptly acuminate at the
apex; marginal teeth not incurved.
b. Margin of leaves sharp-serrate with spreading teeth; leaves
not rugose, the veins not prominent; fruit 1/4-1/2 inch long,
bright red, racemose, July-August; bark of trunk brown, smooth
or only slightly fissured; usually a large shrub. _P.
virginiana_, p. 157.
bb. Margin of leaves crenate-serrate; leaves more or less
rugose, the veins prominent; fruit about 1 inch long
orange-red, clustered, August-September; bark of trunk
gray-brown, early splitting off in large, thick plates; a small
tree. _P. nigra_, p. 161.
aa. Leaves oval to oblong-lanceolate, taper-pointed at the
apex; marginal teeth incurved.
b. Fruit light red, clustered, July-August; twigs usually less
than 1/16 inch thick; pith of twigs brown; tree northern. _P.
pennsylvanica_, p. 139.
bb. Fruit black, racemose, August-September; twigs usually more
than 1/16 inch thick; pith of twigs white; tree southern. _P.
serotina_, p. 155.
+WINTER KEY TO THE SPECIES OF PRUNUS+
a. Terminal bud present; bark of young trunks rather smooth.
b. Buds clustered at the tips of all shoots; twigs usually less
than 1/16 inch thick; pith of twigs brown. _P. pennsylvanica_,
p. 159.
bb. Buds not clustered, or clustered only on short, spur-like
branchlets; twigs usually more than 1/16 inch thick; pith of
twigs white.
c. Buds usually 1/4 inch or less in length; bud-scales uniform
in color, apiculate at the apex; bark on old trunks blackish,
rough-scaly; small to large tree. _P. serotina_, p. 155.
cc. Buds usually 1/4-1/2 inch long; bud-scales grayish on the
margins, rounded at the apex; bark on old trunks brown, smooth
or only slightly fissured; usually a large shrub. _P.
virginiana_, p. 157.
aa. Terminal bud absent; bark of young trunks early splitting
off in large, thick plates. _P. nigra_, p. 161.
[Illustration: +Black Cherry+
1. Winter twig, × 1.
2. Portion of twig, enlarged.
3. Leaf, × 3/4.
4. Margin of leaf, enlarged.
5. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
6. Vertical section of flower, enlarged.
7. Fruiting branchlet, × 1/2.]
+ROSACEAE+
+Black Cherry+
_Prunus serotina Ehrh._ [_Padus serotina (Ehrh.) Agardh._]
HABIT.--A medium-sized tree 40-50 feet high and 8-36 inches in trunk
diameter; branches few, large, tortuous, forming a rather spreading,
oblong or rounded crown.
LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 2-5 inches long, about one-half as broad;
oval or oblong to oblong-lanceolate; finely serrate, with teeth
incurved; subcoriaceous; dark green and very lustrous above, paler
beneath, glabrous both sides; petioles short, slender, usually bearing 2
red glands near the blade.
FLOWERS.--May-June, when the leaves are half grown; perfect; 1/4 inch
across; borne on slender pedicels in many-flowered, loose racemes 4-5
inches long; calyx cup-shaped, 5-lobed; petals 5, white; stamens 15-20;
stigma thick, club-shaped.
FRUIT.--August-September; a globular drupe, 1/3-1/2 inch in diameter,
nearly black, with dark purple, juicy flesh; slightly bitter, edible.
WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud about 1/4 inch long, ovoid, blunt to acute;
scales keeled on the back, apiculate, light brown.
BARK.--Twigs and branches red to red-brown; young trunks dark red-brown,
smooth; blackish on old trunks and rough, broken into thick, irregular
plates; bitter, aromatic.
WOOD.--Light, rather hard, strong, close- and straight-grained, light
brown or red, with thin, yellow sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Frequent in the southern half of the Lower Peninsula, rare
in the northern half and the Upper Peninsula.
HABITAT.--Prefers a rich, moist soil, but grows well on dry, gravelly or
sandy soils.
NOTES.--Grows very rapidly in youth.
[Illustration: +Choke Cherry+
1. Winter twig, × 1.
2. Portion of twig, enlarged.
3. Leaf, × 1.
4. Margin of leaf, enlarged.
5. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
6. Vertical section of flower, enlarged.
7. Fruit, × 1/2.]
+ROSACEAE+
+Choke Cherry+
_Prunus virginiana L._ [_Padus virginiana (L.) Roemer_]
HABIT.--Usually a large shrub, but sometimes a small tree 15-25 feet
high, with a crooked, often leaning trunk 5-6 inches in diameter;
forming a spreading, somewhat rounded crown.
LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 2-4 inches long, one-half as broad; obovate
to oblong-obovate or oval, abruptly acuminate at the apex; finely and
sharply serrate; dull dark green above, paler beneath, glabrous both
sides; petioles short, slender, glandular at the apex.
FLOWERS.--May, when the leaves are half grown; perfect; about 1/2 inch
across; borne on short, slender pedicels in many-flowered racemes 3-6
inches long; calyx cup-shaped, 5-lobed; petals 5, white; stamens 15-20;
stigma broad, on a short style.
FRUIT.--July-August; a globular drupe, 1/4-1/2 inch in diameter, usually
bright red, often yellow to almost black, with dark red flesh;
astringent, but edible.
WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud 1/4-1/2 inch long, conical, acute; scales
rounded at the apex, light brown, smooth.
BARK.--Twigs at first light brown or greenish, becoming red-brown,
finally dark brown; thin, dark brown on the trunk, slightly fissured.
WOOD.--Heavy, hard, close-grained, weak, light brown, with thick, lighter
colored sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Common throughout the entire state.
HABITAT.--Prefers a deep, rich, moist loam, but is common on less
favorable sites.
NOTES.--The most widely distributed tree of North America, extending from
the arctic circle to Mexico, from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic
Ocean.
[Illustration: +Wild Red Cherry. Pin Cherry+
1. Winter twig, × 1.
2. Portion of twig, enlarged.
3. Leaf, × 1.
4. Margin of leaf, enlarged.
5. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
6. Flower, enlarged.
7. Fruit, × 1.]
+ROSACEAE+
+Wild Red Cherry. Pin Cherry+
_Prunus pennsylvanica L. f._
HABIT.--A slender tree, seldom over 30 feet high, with a trunk diameter
of 8-10 inches; crown rather open, narrow, rounded, with slender,
regular branches.
LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 3-5 inches long, 3/4-1-1/4 inches broad;
oblong-lanceolate; finely and sharply serrate; bright green and shining
above, paler beneath; petioles slender, 1/2-1 inch long, glandular near
the blade.
FLOWERS.--May-June, with the leaves; perfect; about 1/2 inch across,
borne on slender pedicels in 4-5-flowered umbels, generally clustered,
2-3 together; calyx 5-cleft, campanulate; petals 5, white, 1/4 inch
long; stamens 15-20.
FRUIT.--July-August; a globular drupe, 1/4 inch in diameter, light red,
with thick skin and sour flesh.
WINTER-BUDS.--Terminal bud 1/8 inch long, broadly ovoid, rather blunt,
brownish, smooth.
BARK.--Twigs at first lustrous, red, marked by orange colored lenticels,
becoming brownish; red-brown and thin on the trunk, peeling off
horizontally into broad, papery plates; bitter, aromatic.
WOOD.--Light, soft, close-grained, light brown, with thin, yellow
sapwood.
DISTRIBUTION.--Throughout the northern portion of the state, extending
southward to Ionia County.
HABITAT.--Abundant on sand-lands; roadsides; burned-over lands;
clearings; hillsides.
NOTES.--Rapid of growth. Short-lived.
[Illustration: +Canada Plum. Red Plum+
1. Winter twig, × 1.
2. Portion of twig, enlarged.
3. Leaf, × 1/2.
4. Flowering branchlet, × 1/2.
5. Vertical section of flower, × 1.
6. Fruiting branchlet, × 1/2.]
+ROSACEAE+
+Canada Plum. Red Plum+
_Prunus nigra Ait._ [_Prunus americana, v. nigra Waugh_]
HABIT.--A small tree 20-25 feet high and 5-8 inches in trunk diameter;
usually divides 5-6 feet from the ground into a number of stout, upright
branches, forming a narrow, rigid crown.
LEAVES.--Alternate, simple, 3-5 inches long and one-half as broad;
oblong-ovate to obovate, abruptly acuminate at the apex; doubly
crenate-serrate; thick and firm; glabrous, light green above, paler
beneath; petioles short, stout, bearing 2 large red glands near the
blade.