PRUNUS AMERICANA Marshall. Wild Red Plum. (× 1/2.)
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.