=Distribution.=--Massachusetts to Florida, west to Manitoba and south to
New Mexico. Found throughout Indiana. While it has a general
distribution, it is not generally distributed through the forests, but
is local in colonies in low grounds along streams or in low places in
the forest. In the southern counties it is found on the ridges and
commonly about the basins of sink-holes. Large single trees may be found
but they are usually surrounded by many smaller ones which are root
shoots. From this habit of the tree to produce root shoots large
colonies are formed which has given rise to the term "plum thickets."
=Remarks.=--The wood of this tree is of no economic importance, but the
species from a horticultural standpoint is one of the most important of
all of the plums. Many named varieties belong to this species.
It should be noted that all species of plums are quite variable, and one
must not be surprised to find specimens that will not come entirely
within the descriptions.
=2. Prunus americana= var. =lanàta= Sudworth. Woolly-leaf Plum. Plate
100. Small trees with the characteristic wild plum tree bark, except on
age it becomes more furrowed; twigs generally puberulent or sometimes
smooth; leaves obovate, oblong-obovate, or sometimes somewhat ovate,
generally about 6-10 cm. long, and 4-6 cm. wide, rounded at the base,
acute or short acuminate at the apex, margins sharply serrate, or doubly
serrate, upper surface covered with short appressed hairs, lower surface
permanently pubescent with longer hairs; petioles more or less pubescent
and often bearing one or more glands; flowers appear in April or May in
umbels of 2-4, upper part of calyx, and its lobes pubescent both inside
and out, the lobes more or less cut-toothed and bearing inconspicuous
glands; fruit ripening in September, globose, reddish with a bluish
bloom; stone nearly orbicular and turgid.
=Distribution.=--Indiana west to Indian Territory and south to the Gulf.
The range of this variety has not been well understood, and it is
believed that forms of this variety in the northern part of its range
have been included in the preceding species. It is certain that in our
area the two forms are separated with difficulty; especially is this
true of certain individuals. Specimens at hand show it to occur in
Floyd, Clark, Bartholomew, Martin, Warren, Vermillion, Gibson, Warrick,
and Perry Counties.
=Remarks.=--This form intergrades with the preceding to such an extent
that there is little difference between the extremes of the two forms.
[Illustration: Plate 100.