Cerasus. ROSACEiE. HI 



oblong, acuminate, glabrous, or bearded along the midrib boneaili, smooth 

 and shining above, finely serrate with appressed or incurved callous tecili ; 

 petioles (or base of the leaf) mostly with 2 or more plands ; racemes elon- 

 gated, spreading ; petals broadly obovate ; drupes globose, purplish-black. 



Lois,? I. c. ; Serinffe .' in DC. I. c. ; Spach! L c. C. sylvestris, ice. 

 Gronov. .' Virg. p. 75. C. Virginiana, Michx. ! Jl. 1. p. 283; Michx. f. 

 sylv. 2. p. 204, /. 88 ; Hook. I. c. (excl. syn.) ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 289. 

 Prunus serotina, Ehrh. beitr. 3. p. 20 ; IVilld. ! arh. t.^ 5, /. 2, S^- spec. 2. 

 p. 986 ; Guimp. Otto, Sf- Haync, liolz. t. 37 ; not of Pursh, Torr. Sfc. P. 

 Virginiana, Mill. diet. ; Du'Roi, liarhk. 2. p. 191 ; Wang. Amcr. t. 14, /. 

 3; Ell. sh. I. c. ; Torr. ! Jl. 1. p. 407; not of Linn., except as to syn. 

 Gronov. P. cartilaginea, Lvhm.! ind. sent. Hcunh. 183;5. 



In woods, Canada ! to Florida and Western States ! May. — Tree 30-80 

 feet high, with spreading branches; the wood hard and close-grained, valua- 

 ble to cabinet-makers. Leaves 2-4 inches long. Racemes 2-5 inches in 

 length, at length nodding. Fruit 2-3 lines in diameter, edible, but slightly 

 bitter to the taste. — This is the C. Virginiana of Hooker, so far as relates to 

 the character and a part of the synonomy ; but the subjoined remiuksfrom 

 Richardson belong to the Choke-Cherrs', as he indeed suggests. In the 

 Northern States, this species ripens its fruit in August and September, about 

 a month later than C. Virginiana. — Wild Cherry. Black Cherry. 



8. C. demissa (Nutt. ! mss.) : "shrubby; leaves ovate or oval, acute, 

 sharply serrulate with straight teeth, often cmarginate at the base, more or 

 less pubescent beneath ; racemes erect [or nodding], longer than the leaves; 

 calyx hemispherical ; the lobes short and obtuse, giandularly ciliate ; petals 

 roundish ; drupes red." 



Plains of the Oregon towards tlie sea, and at the mouth of the Wahlamet, 

 Nuttall ! Oregon, Mr. Tohnic ! — This is apparently a quite distinct species, 

 gro\ving to the height of 5-6 feet, according to NuttalU with astringent fruit. 

 The petiole is mostly biglandular, the pedicels about the lengtli of the 

 flowers. To tliis perhaps belong the specimens of " C. serotina," collected 

 by Douglas in the vallies west of the Rocky Mountains, although it is not 

 improbable that the true C. Virginiana has this range in tlie north. 



§ 3. Flowers in racemes, from the axils of the persistant leaves of the former 

 season. — Laurocerasus, Tourn. ; DC. (excl. § 1.) 



A truly natural section, when properly charfictcrized, as above. 



9. C. Caroliniana (Michx.) : leaves on short petioles, oblong-lanceolate, 

 acuminate, mucron-.Le, entire or sometimes spinulose-serrate, coriaceous, 

 veinless, smooth and shining above ; racemes dense, shorter than the leaves ; 

 drupe.-*" black, juiceless, persistent. — Michx. ! fl. 1. j!>. O^S ; DC. ! I. c. 

 Prunus Caroliniana, Ait. Kew. {ed. 1.) 2. p. 540 ; Ell. sk. 1. p. 540. P. 

 Lusitanica, Walt. Car. p. 167. Bumelia serrata, Pursh, fl. 1. p. 155, 

 ex Nutt. 



River-banks, S. Carolina ! to Florida ! Louisiana ! and Arkansas ! 

 March-April. — Tree 30-50 feet high. Leaves destitute of glands, almost 

 veinless. Petals small. Stamens about 15. — The leaves, according to El- 

 liott, are very poisonous, frequently destroying cattle that are teinpted to 

 browse freely on them in the spring of the year. 



10. C. ilidfolius (Nutt. ! mss.) : leaves on short petioles, roundish-cordate or 

 broadly oval, spinosely-toothed, veiny, smooth and shining above, coria- 

 ceous ; racemes dense, about as long as tlie leaves ; drupes black, oval, acu- 

 minate. — Hook. 4' Arn. ! hot. Bcechey, suppl. p. 340, t. 83. 



