Classification of 'jhe Cherries. 473 



l3le when [the science of descrijjtive botany was born. Nearly 

 every botanist who has taken up the stndy of them has arrived at a 

 new conchision respecting the umnber of tlie original species from 

 which they have come. The extreme opinions are represented on 

 tlie -one hand by Bentham (British Flora), who accepts but a single 

 species, and on the other by M. J. Roemer (Synopsis Monograph- 

 iciie), who makes thirteen species. It is consoling to know that 

 Beutham's estimate can not be reduced, and it is certain that 

 Koeraer's species can not be distinguished. The oldest De Candolle 

 (Prodromus) refers the cherries to four species, but he made the 

 usual mistake of classing the Dukes and Morellos together ; and it 

 is also true that some of his species are indistinguishable in the 

 absence of fruit. If one desires to recognize the most permanent 

 horticultural differences and if he wishes at the same time to be able 

 to distinguish the species which he makes, he will accept the divi- 

 sion into two species, as proposed by Linn sens. These are P. Cerasus^ 

 the sour cherry type, and Prunus Avitcm, the sweet cherry tj^pe. 

 I believe that these represent true original sources of the garden 

 cherries. 



It would be unwise to attempt a complete synonymy of the cher- 

 ries in this place, but the following arrangement will explain most 

 of the perplexities with which the student will meet:. 



I. Prunus Cerasus, Linn£eus, Sp. PI. 474 (1753). Sour Cherry. 



P. acida Ehrhart, Beitr. v. 162. 



Cerasus vulgaris., Miller, Gard. Diet 8th ed. No. 1. 



C Caproniana, DC. Fl. Fr. iv. 482 (Excl. Dukes). 



(J. acida, Beehst. Forstb. 161. 



C. austera, Roemer, Syn. Monogr. iii. 75, in part. 



C tridentina, Roemer^ Syn. Monogr. iii. 76. 



C. Phexii, Van Houtte, Fl. Serr. 2d ser. vii. 159, 



Of the nine forms which De Candolle dignifies with Latin varie- 

 tal names two are important in the present discussion, viz. : Var. 

 Montmorency ana, including the Amarelle types (and also, wrongly, 

 the May Duke), and Var. Oriotta, including the Morellos and 

 Ostheim. Roemer refers the Amarelles or white-juiced cherries to 

 Cerasus acida, and the Morellos to C. Cajproniana. His C. austera 

 compares various sour varieties and the Dukes. 



