240 XLVIII. ROSACEiE. Cerasus. 



Suborder I.— A MYGDAIiEJE. 



Ovary solitary. Fruit a drupe. Seeds mostly solitary. Calyx deciduous. 



1. CERAS CJS. Juss. 



Name from Cerasus, a town in Pontus, whence originated the garden cherry. 



Calyx 5-cleft, regular, deciduous ; petals much spreading ; stamens 

 15 — 30 ; drupe globose, succulent, very smooth, destitute of a glau- 

 cous bloom ; nucleus subglobose, smooth. — Trees or shrubs. Lvs. con- 

 duplicate in (Estivation. 



* Flowers, in racemes. 



1. C. SEROTlNA. DC. (C. Virginiana. Michx. Prunus. Ehrh.) Black 

 or Wild Cherry. — Lvs. deciduous, oval-oblong, acuminate, unequally serrate, 



smooth, shining above ; petioles with 2 — 4 glands ; roc. spreading, elongated. — A 

 large forest tree, throughout the U. S. Trunk 50 — 80f high, of uniform size and 

 undivided to the height of 20 — 30f, 2 — 4f diam. Bark black and rough. Leaves 

 3 — 5' long, ^ as wide, with 1 — 2 pairs of reddish glands at base. In May and 

 June it puts forth numerous cylindric clusters of white flowers. Fruit nearly 

 black when mature, bitterish, yet pleasant to the taste, and is greedily devoured 

 by birds. — The wood, extensively used in cabinet-work, is compact, fine-grained, 

 and receives a high polish. The bark has a strong, bitter taste, and has been 

 used in medicine as a tonic. 



2. C. Virginiana. DC. (C. serotina. Hoolc. Prunus. Linit.) Choke Cherry. 



Lvs. smooth, sharply serrate, oval, deciduous, the lower serratures glandu- 

 lar, veins bearded on each side towards the base; petiole with 2 g\a.nds ; roc. 

 lax, short, spreading ; pet. orbicular. — A small tree or shrub, 5 — 20f high, in 

 woods and hedges. Bark grayish. Leaves 2 — 3' long, \ as wide, with a short, 

 abrupt acumination, and spreading, subulate serratures. Flowers white, ap- 

 pearing in May. The fruit (cherries) is abundant, of a dark red color, very 

 astringent to the taste, yet on the whole agreeable. 



* * Flowers subuvibellate or solitary. 



3. C. Pennsylvanica. Ait. (Prunus borealis. Ph.) Wild Red Cherry. 

 Lvs. oblong-ovate, acuminate, finely serrate, membranous, smooth ; umbels 



corymbose, with elongated pedicels ; drupe small, ovoid-subglobose. — A small 

 tree, common in woods and thickets in the Northern States. The trunk rarely 

 exceeds 25f in height, with a diameter of 6 — 8'. Bark smooth, reddish-brown. . 

 Leaves 2 — 5' long, J as wide, the fine teeth mostly glandular, apex tapering to 

 a long acumination. Flowers white, on long (2§') slender pedicels collected 

 into a sort of umbel. Fruit red, very acid. — This tree is of rapid growth, and 

 quickly succeeds a forest-clearing if neglected. May. 



4. C. puMiLA. Michx. (Prunus depressa. Ph.) Sand Cherry. 



Lvs. lanceolate, oval or oljovate, acute, subserrate, smooth, paler beneath ; 

 umbels few-flowered, sessile ; drupe ovoid. — A small, trailing shrub, in gravelly 

 soils. Can. and U. S. Branches ascending, 1 — 2f high. Leaves 2 — %' long, i 

 as wide, very acute at each end. Flowers white, 3, 4 or 5 in each umbel, the 

 pedicels smooth, 1' in length. Fruit .small, dark red, acid but agreeable to the 

 taste. May. 



5. C. Avium. Moench. (Prunus. Linn.) Duke Cherry. Ox-heart. English 

 Cherry. Bigareau., d^c., d^c. — Branches erect or ascending; lvs. oblong-obovate, 

 acuminate, hairy beneath ; umhch sessile, with rather long pedicels; drupe ovoid- 

 globose, subcordate at base. — Cultivated in gardens, fields, &€., common. Trunk 

 20 — 50f in height, with an oblong or pyramidal head. Leaves 3—6' long, i as 

 wide, on petioles 1 — 2' long, often with 2 glands. Flowers expanding with the 

 leaves, white. Drupes various shades of red, firm but juicy. May. — The fruit 

 is well known and appreciated. About 75 varieties are published in American 

 catalogues. -^ 



6. C. VULGARIS. Mill. (Prunus Cera.sus. Linn.) Sour CJwrry. Large Red 

 Cherry. Morello, d^-c. — Branches spreading ; lvs. ovate-lanceolate, acute at apex, 

 narrowed at base, nearly smooth ; umbels subsessile, with short pedicels ; drupes 



