Cerasus boreaUs, * 



THE NORTHERN CHERRY-TREE. 



Synonymes. 



Cerasus borealis, 



Cerasus pennsyhanica, 

 Cerisier du Canada, 

 Canadischer Kirschbaum, 

 American Bird Cherry-tree, 

 Small Cherry, Red Cherry-tree, 

 Wild Red Cherry, Bird Cherry, Choke 

 Cherry-tree, 



MicHAux, North American Sylva, 



De Candolle, Prodromus. 



Loudon, Arboretum Britannicum. 



ToKREY AND Gray, Flora of North America. 



France. 



Germany. 



Britain. 



New England. 



Other parts of Anglo-America. 



Engravings. Michaux, North American Sylva, pi. 90; Loudon, Arboretum Britannicum, ii., fig. 410; and the figures boJow. 



Specific Characters. Leaves oval-oblong, acuminate, membranaceous, glabrous, denticulate, and almos*. 

 in an eroded manner. Flowers on longish pedicels, and disposed nearly in a corymbose manner. 

 Fruit nearly ovate, small j its flesh red. De Candolle, Frodromtts. 



Description. 



PS^^HE Cerasus 



Pa '-Tip M, borealis is 



^ LI (Ci ^^ handsome 



S^^i small tree, 

 growing to a height of twenty or 

 thirty feet, with a trunk six or eight 

 inches in diameter, and covered with 

 a smooth brownish bark, which de- 

 taches itself laterally. Its leaves are 

 from two to six inches long, and 

 somewhat resemble those of the com- 

 mon almond. Its flowers put forth 

 in May or June, and occur in small, 

 white bunches, which give birth to a 

 small, red, intensely-acid fruit, that 

 arrives at maturity in July. It is 

 described by Pursh to be agreeable to the taste, astringent in the mouth, and 

 hence called choke cherry ; but this name is ordinarily applied to another tree. 



Geographij., c^'c. The northern cherry is found in a common soil from New- 

 foundland to the northern parts of the Rocky Mountains, and as far south as 

 Virginia. It was introduced into Britain in 1822, and is growing at present 

 in Messrs. Loddiges' arboretum, and other European collections. This tree, 

 like the paper birch, is remarkable for springing up spontaneously, in old culti- 

 vated fields, or in such parts of the forests as have been burnt over by accident 

 or design. Of all trees of North America, no one is so nearly allied to the 

 Cerasus vulgaris as the present species ; and hence it has been recommended as 

 a suitable stock to graft that cliorry upon. The wood of this tree is exceedingly 

 hard, fine-grained, and of a reddish hue; but the inferior size to which it usua ly 

 grows, forbids its use in the mechanic arts. 

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