The Cherries, Plums and Peaches
Prunus sp.

Leaf-scars alternate, more than 2-ranked; bundle-scars in 3's; stipule-scars present, inconspicuous or absent; buds with scales overlapping in several rows; terminal bud present or absent; fruit a fleshy drupe (stone fruit).
144. Terminal bud present. 145
144. Terminal bud absent (plums). 150
145. Twigs densely speckled with very minute pale dots, brightly colored, generally green-yellow below and more or less reddish above and highly polished; buds generally densely downy at least toward apex; collateral buds usually present. Prunus persica,
Peach
145. Twigs not densely speckled with very minute dots; buds not densely downy; collateral buds absent (occasionally present in wild red cherry). 146
146. Buds clustered at tips of all shoots; twigs under 2.5 mm. thick. Prunus pensylvanica,
Pin or Wild Red Cherry
146. Buds not clustered, or clustered only on short fruit spurs; twigs over 2.5 mm. thick. 147
147. Short stout slow-growing fruit spurs present with buds clustered at their tips; European species. 148
147. Short fruit spurs absent; native species. 149
148. Habit erect, generally with a central leader. Prunus avium,
Mazzard or Sweet Cherry
148. Habit spreading, without central leader; buds smaller; twigs more slender. Prunus cerasus,
Sour Cherry
149. Buds generally over 5 mm. long; bud-scales gray-margined; bark smooth; generally only a shrub.

Prunus virginiana,
Common Chokecherry
149. Buds generally under 5 mm. long; bud-scales uniform in color; bark becoming rough-scaly; a small to large tree.

Prunus serotina,
Black Cherry
150. Native species, growing wild. 151
150. Cultivated species. Varieties chiefly of the American, European, or Japanese type of Plum. Various Prunus of cultivated origin (complex hybrids, etc.)
151. Buds generally under 4 mm. long. Prunus americana,
American Red Plum
151. Buds generally over 4 mm. long. Prunus nigra,
Canada Plum



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