Tab. 7335. 



PRUNUS HUMILIS. 



Native of Northern China. 



Nat. Ord. Eosace^:. — Tribe PatrNE^:. 

 Genus Pettnus, Linn.; (Benth. & HooJc.f. Gen. Plant, vol. i. p. 609.) 



Prunus (Cerasus) humilis; fruticosa, ramosissima, inermia, glaberrimas, 

 ramulis gracilibus, foliis oblongis ovato-oblongiave obtusia v. acutia crenu- 

 latis puberulis basi eglandulosis, subtua rugosis, stipulia linearibus 

 glandulosis, peduuculis 1-2-floris erectis, pedicellis brevibus, calycibus 

 campanulatis, lobis oblongis obtusis ciliolatia tubo subffiqmlongia, petalia 

 orbicularibua crenulatis albis ungne rubro, staminibus petalis duplo 

 longioribus, ovariis 1-2, drupia globoso ovoideis rubris, putamine laevi. 



P. humilis, Bunge JSnum. PI. Chin. Bor. p. 23. Maxim, in Mel. Biol. vol. xi. 

 p. 682, et Fl. As. Or. Fragm. p. 11. Bretschn. Early Researches into the 

 Flora of China, p. 31. Stance in Journ. Bot. 1875, p. 131. Debeatix Fl. 

 Chef. p. 52. Franch. PI. David, p. 104. Memsl. in Journ. Linn. Soc. vol. 

 xxiii. p. 218. 



P. japonica, Carr. in Rev. Hortic. 1873, p. 457, f. 41 (non Thunb.). 



P. Bungei, Walp. Bep. Bot. vol. ii. p. 9. 



The earliest account of this pretty dwarf cherry is that 

 of a French missionary, Dominicus Parennin, who in 1733 

 communicated to the Academy of Sciences, Paris, an 

 account of the drugs, &c, of Northern China, and of 

 which communication a resume is given by the indefatigable 

 and learned Dr. Bretschneider, late Physician to the 

 Russian Legation, Peking, in a brochure published at 

 Shanghai in 1881, entitled " Early European Researches into 

 the Flora of China." Of the wild fruits of the country 

 Father Parennin says there are very few, adding that 

 two only are worthy of notice. One, " the fruit of the 

 Oulana, as the Tartars call it, is of the size of a great 

 red cherry, and is produced on a little stem 3 or 4 inches 

 high. The other fruit has the appearance of small raisins. 

 It is produced in clusters on a fine tree 25 ft. or more in 

 height. After the first frost these berries become red, and 

 are then of an acidulated sweet taste." With respect to 

 these fruits, Dr. Bretschneider adds, that " Oolana is the 

 Mongol and Manchurian name of Prunus humilis, frequent 



January 1st, 1894. 



