ROSE FAMILY
232. RED HAW or hawthorn (Crataegus species) probably about four species in the county. Three are easily distinguished by the shapes of the leaves and the size of the fruits:
(a) Leaves: very wooly when young, broad near base and nearly as broad as long, doubly toothed and often shallowly lobed; especially susceptible to the cedar rust. Fruit: red, resembling large rose hips, edible, mealy, about ¾ inch across, ripening in September and falling early. Grows in the vicinity of White Rock Creek and Lake. Leaves and flowers in early April.
(b) Leaves: usually obovate, tapering at base and somewhat blunt at tip, darker and smoother than (a). Fruit: about ½ inch or less across, ripening October or November, clinging late into winter. Flowers and leaves both smaller and appearing later than (a). Same region.
(c) Leaves: deeply and sharply cut. Fruit: ¼ inch or less across, many in a drooping cluster. River bottoms in southeastern part of county.
A fourth species is distinctive for its loose, flaky bark.
Wood: tough and hard but all trees in this region too small to be of commercial importance.
233. PRAIRIE ROSE (Rosa setigera Michx.) rare, climbing or trailing, vine-like shrub of low sandy land. Leaves: compound leaflets; mostly three, or five. Stems: green, with stout, scattered prickles, sometimes 20 feet long, usually much less. Flowers: bright pink, styles united into a column. Fruit: rounded, red in autumn, nearly ½ inch in diameter. [B] (Vol. II, p. 283.)
234. PASTURE ROSE (Rosa foliolosa Nutt.) a common, very low shrub. Habitat: meadows, roadsides, open woods, White Rock Lake, etc. Flowers: white or pale pink, solitary, sweet-scented. Stem: 6 to 12 inches tall, reddish, slender, with few prickles. Fruits: red, haw-like, in fall and winter. Leaves: pinnately compound, small leaflets 7 to 11, red in autumn or green and tardily deciduous. [D] (p. 106.)
235. DEWBERRY (Rubus trivialis) abundant trailing “shrub” of woods, roadsides, thickets and ditches. Leaves: compound, 3 to 5 leaflets, rose-like, evergreen or nearly so. Stems: green, prickly, usually lying on the ground, several feet long. Flowers: white, 5 petals, like small single roses. Fruit: black, many-seeded, juicy, ripe April-May, popular with birds, boys and redbugs.
236. WILD BLACK CHERRY (Prunus serotina Ehr.) a rare, small tree observed in low, sandy woods. Leaves: oval or longer, pointed at tip, finely serrate, dark red glands at base; glossy above, paler below. 2-6 inches long. Flowers: in grape-like clusters, drooping, white, in late March. Fruit: resembling small grapes, bitter but edible. Bark: of branches and young trunks glossy, reddish brown, marked with white, horizontal lines, finally becomes rough and broken into irregular plates. Wood: is second in value only to black walnut, reddish brown, fine grained, used for furniture, and interiors. Fruit: used to flavor rum, the bark in medicines.
237. WILD PLUM (Prunus mexicana S. Watson) common tree in woodlands, especially in low, rich ground. Leaves: oval, finely toothed, 2 to 3 inches long, downy or smooth but not shiny. Flowers: white, sweet-scented, in February and March. Fruit: oval, about 1 inch diameter, red, with a bloom; makes a delicious, tart jelly; different trees ripen from August into October. Winter TWIGS: smooth, dark purplish, the smaller ones often thorny-tipped. Bark: smooth on branches but peeling, finally rough and dark gray. [J] (p. 565.)
238. DWARF PLUM (Prunus angustifolia var. varians Wight & Hedr.) a shrub, often flowering when 1 or 2 feet high, rarely a very small tree, common on dry hillsides, meadows and fence rows, often forming thickets. Leaves: slightly narrower than those of the tree plum, smooth or shiny above, often tending to fold together lengthwise. Flowers: small, white, in March. Fruit: about ½ inch in diameter, bright red, ripe in midsummer. Twigs: very glossy and dark reddish purple, with sharp thorns. [J] (p. 570.)
239. PEACH (Prunus persica (L.) Sieb & Zucc.) an uncommon escape from cultivation, growing readily from seeds along roadsides, etc. These trees usually bear small, hard, flavorless fruit but may be used as parent stock on which to graft desirable cultivated varieties. Flowers: showy, pink.