The Manual of the Botany of the Northern United States. Asa Gray
Pistils 1–4, becoming achenes, completely enclosed in the dry and firm calyx-tube, which is constricted or nearly closed at the throat. Herbs with compound or lobed leaves. Petals often none.
12. Alchemilla. Calyx urceolate, bracteolate. Petals none. Stamens 1–4. Flowers minute, clustered.
13. Agrimonia. Calyx turbinate, with a margin of hooked prickles. Stamens 5–12. Flowers yellow, in long racemes.
14. Poterium. Calyx lobes petaloid; tube 4-angled, naked. Petals none. Flowers densely capitate or spicate.
Tribe VI. ROSEÆ. Pistils many, becoming bony achenes, enclosed in the globose or urn-shaped fleshy calyx-tube, which resembles a pome. Petals conspicuous. Stamens numerous.
15. Rosa. The only genus. Prickly shrubs with pinnate leaves.
Tribe VII. POMEÆ. Carpels 2–5, enclosed in and coalescent with the fleshy or berry-like calyx, in fruit becoming a 2–several-celled pome. Trees or shrubs, with stipules free from the petiole.
a. Cells of the compound ovary as many as the styles (2–5), each 2- (rarely several-) ovuled.
16. Pyrus. Pome containing 2–5 papery or cartilaginous carpels.
17. Cratægus. Pome drupe-like, with 1–5 bony stones or kernels. Usually thorny.
b. Cells of the compound ovary becoming twice as many as the styles, each 1-ovuled.
18. Amelanchier. Pome usually of 5 carpels; each becomes incompletely 2-celled by a projection from its back; otherwise as Pyrus.
1. PRÙNUS, Tourn. Plum, Cherry, etc.
Calyx 5-cleft, the tube bell-shaped, urn-shaped, or tubular-obconical, deciduous after flowering. Petals 5, spreading. Stamens 15–20. Pistil solitary, with 2 pendulous ovules. Drupe fleshy, with a bony stone.—Small trees or shrubs, with mostly edible fruit. (The ancient Latin name.)
§ 1. PRUNUS proper (and Cerasus). Drupe smooth, and the stone smooth or somewhat rugged; flowers (usually white) from separate lateral scaly buds in early spring, preceding or coetaneous with the leaves; the pedicels few or several in simple umbel-like clusters.
1. P. Americàna, Marshall. (Wild Yellow or Red Plum.) Tree thorny, 8–20° high; leaves ovate or somewhat obovate, conspicuously pointed, coarsely or doubly serrate; very veiny, glabrous when mature; fruit nearly destitute of bloom, roundish oval, yellow, orange, or red, ½–{2/3}´ in diameter, with the turgid stone more or less acute on both margins, or in cultivated states 1´ or more in diameter, the flattened stone with broader margins; pleasant-tasted, but with a tough and acerb skin.—Woodlands and river banks, common.
2. P. marítima, Wang. (Beach Plum.) Low and straggling (1–5°); leaves ovate or oval, finely serrate, softly pubescent underneath; pedicels short, pubescent; fruit globular, purple or crimson with a bloom (½–1´ in diameter); the stone very turgid, acute on one edge, rounded and minutely grooved on the other.—Sea beaches and the vicinity, N. Brunswick to Va. It varies, when at some distance from the coast (N. J. and southward), with the leaves smoother and thinner and the fruit smaller.
3. P. Alleghaniénsis, Porter. A low straggling shrub or small tree (3–15° high), seldom thorny; leaves lanceolate to oblong-ovate, often long-acuminate, finely and sharply serrate, softly pubescent when young, glabrate with age; fruit globose-ovoid, very dark purple with a bloom (less than ½´ in diameter); stone turgid, a shallow groove on one side and a broad flat ridge on the other.—Bluffs of the Alleghany Mts., Penn.
4. P. Chicàsa, Michx. (Chickasaw Plum.) Stem scarcely thorny (8–15° high); leaves nearly lanceolate, finely serrulate, glabrous; fruit globular, red, nearly destitute of bloom (½–{2/3}´ in diameter); the ovoid stone almost as thick as wide, rounded at both sutures, one of them minutely grooved.—Md. to Fla., west to S. Ind., Kan., and Tex.
5. P. grácilis, Engelm. & Gray. Soft-pubescent, 1–4° high; leaves oblong-lanceolate to ovate, acute, sharply serrate, becoming nearly glabrous above, 1–2´ long; pedicels and calyx pubescent; fruit less than ½´ in diameter; stone rather turgid, suborbicular.—Prairies and sandy places, S. Kan. to Tex. and Tenn.
6. P. pùmila, L. (Dwarf Cherry. Sand C.) Smooth, depressed and trailing (6´–6° high); leaves obovate-lanceolate, tapering to the base, somewhat toothed near the apex, pale underneath; flowers 2–4 together; fruit ovoid, dark red or nearly black when ripe, without bloom; stone ovoid, marginless, of the size of a large pea.—Rocks or sandy banks, N. Brunswick to Va., west to Minn. and Kan. Fruit usually sour and astringent.
7. P. Pennsylvánica, L. f. (Wild Red Cherry.) Tree 20–30° high, with light red-brown bark; leaves oblong-lanceolate, pointed, finely and sharply serrate, shining, green and smooth both sides; flowers many in a cluster, on long pedicels; fruit globose, light red, very small, with thin and sour flesh; stone globular.—Rocky woods, Newf. to N. C., west to Minn. and Mo.
P. spinòsa, L. (Sloe. Black Thorn.) Branches thorny; leaves obovate-oblong or ovate-lanceolate, sharply serrate, at length glabrous; pedicels glabrous; fruit small, globular, black with a bloom, the stone turgid, acute on one edge.—Var. insitítia (Bullace-Plum), is less spiny, the pedicels and lower side of the leaves pubescent.—Roadsides and waste places, N. Eng. to Penn. and N. J. (Adv. from Eu.)
§ 2. PADUS. Drupe small, globose, without bloom; the stone turgid-ovate, marginless; flowers in racemes terminating leafy branches, therefore appearing after the leaves, late in spring.
8. P. Virginiàna, L. (Choke-Cherry.) A tall shrub, with grayish bark; leaves oval, oblong, or obovate, abruptly pointed, very sharply (often doubly) serrate with slender teeth, thin; petals roundish; fruit red turning to dark crimson; stone smooth.—River-banks, Newf. to Ga., west to Minn., E. Neb., and Tex.—Fruit very austere and astringent. A variety with very short dense racemes and sweeter yellowish fruit has been found at Dedham, Mass.
9. P. seròtina, Ehrh. (Wild Black Cherry.) A large tree, with reddish-brown branches; leaves oblong or lanceolate-oblong, taper-pointed, serrate with incurved short and callous teeth, thickish, shining above; racemes elongated; petals obovate; fruit purplish-black.—Woods, N. Scotia to Fla., west to Minn., E. Neb., and La.—Fruit slightly bitter, but with a pleasant vinous flavor.
10. P. demíssa, Walp. Low but tree-like in habit, 3–12° high, resembling n. 8 in foliage, but the leaves rather thick and the teeth less slender; racemes often elongated; fruit purplish-black, sweet and but slightly astringent.—Central Kan. and Neb. to New Mex., Dak., and westward.
2. SPIRÆ̀A, L. Meadow-Sweet.
Calyx 5-cleft, short, persistent. Petals 5, obovate, equal, imbricated in the bud. Stamens 10–50. Pods (follicles) 5–8, not inflated, few–several-seeded. Seeds linear, with a thin or loose coat and no albumen.—Shrubs or perennial herbs, with simple or pinnate leaves, and white or rose-colored flowers in corymbs or panicles. (The Greek name, from σπειράω, to twist, from the twisting of the pods in the original species.)
§ 1. SPIRÆA proper. Erect shrubs, with simple leaves; stipules obsolete; pods mostly 5, several-seeded.
1. S. betulæfòlia, Pall., var. corymbòsa, Watson. Nearly smooth (1–2° high); leaves oval or ovate, cut-toothed toward the apex; corymbs large, flat, several times compound; flowers white. (S. corymbosa, Raf.)—Mountains of Penn. and N. J. to Ga., west to Ky. and Mo.
2. S. salicifòlia, L. (Common Meadow-Sweet.) Nearly smooth (2–3° high); leaves wedge-lanceolate, simply or doubly serrate; flowers in a crowded panicle, white or flesh-color; pods smooth.—Wet or low grounds, Newf. to the mountains