CHAP. XMI. 



iiOSA'CEA:. CE'RASIJS. 



703 



410 



Spec. Char., Sfc. I>eaves ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, unequally serrate, glabrous, with two glands 

 upon the petiole. Flowers numerous, upim slender peduncles, and disposed umbellately. Pre- 

 sumed to be a native of America, asit was raised from seeds sent from that country by Michaux. 

 {Dec. Prod., ii. p. 537.) A rapidly growing tree, attaining the height of the common wild cherry, 

 and bearing so close a resemblance to it in almost every respect, that it is probably only a variety 

 of it. There are trees of this kind of cherry in the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, of a pyramidal 

 form, with a reddish brown smooth bark, flowers about the size of those of C. Mahaleb, and fruit 

 about the size of peas. The wood is said to be harder and redder than that of the common wild 

 cherry. According to Sweet, it was introduced into England in 1818; but we have never seen it. 



5? 9. C. borea'lis Michx. The North American Cherry Tree. 



Identificnfion. Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 1. p. 286. ; Lois, in N. Du Ham., 5. p. 32. No. 22. ; Dec. Prod. 



2. p. 538. ; Don's Mill., 2. p. 513. 

 Sj/no7iymes. Priinus borealis Poir. Diet., 5. p. 674. ; the Northern Choke Cherry, Amer. 

 Engravings. Michx. Arb. Amer., 3. t. S. ; and onr fig. 410. 



Spec. Char., ^-c. Leaves oval-obloni;, acuminate, 

 membranaceous, glabrous, denticulate and 

 ahnost in an eroded manner : they resemble 

 those of the common almond tree, but have 

 the serratures inflexed, protuberant, and tipped 

 with minute glandulous mucros.- Flowers on 

 longish pedicels, and disposed nearly in a co- 

 rymbose manner. Fruit nearly ovate, small ; 

 its flesh red. {Dec. Prod., ii. p. 538.) A small 

 tree, growing to the height of 20 ft. or 30 ft., 

 with a trunk Gin. or Sin. in diameter; a 

 native of the northern parts of North Ame- 

 rica ; and introduced into England in 1822. 

 According to Michaux, it is not found in the 

 southern states ; but was principally observed 

 by him in the district of Maine and the state 

 of Vermont, where it is called the small cherry, and the red cherry. It flowers 

 in May, and ripens its fruit in July. Michaux states that this cherry is 

 remarkable for springing up spontaneously in all places which have been 

 anciently cultivated, and even on those parts of forests which have been 

 burned, either extensively by accident, or merely where a fire has been 

 lighted by a passing stranger. In this respect, he says that it resembles the 

 paper birch, which has the same peculiarity. Of all the cherries of North 

 America, he observes, the C. borealis is the one that has the greatest ana- 

 logy with the cultivated cherry of Europe ; and hence he considers it the 

 best American stock for the European cherry. Pursh describes it as a 

 very handsome small tree, the wood exquisitely hard and fine-grained ; but 

 the cherries, though agreeable to the taste, astringent in the month, and 

 hence called choke cherries. From the appearance of the trees in Messrs. 

 Loddiges's arboretum, we should conclude it to be only a variety of C. 

 sylvestris. 



-i 10. C. pu'mila Michx. The dwarf Cherry Tree. 



Identification. Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 2. p. 286. ; Lois, in N. Du Ham., 5. p. 31. ; Dec. Prod., 2. p 537. ; 



Don's Mill., 2. p. 513. 

 Synoni/mes. /"rilnus pClmila Lin. Mant., 73.; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., ). p. 231. ; Ct'rasus glafica 



Mcench Meth., 672. ; Ragouminier, or Nega, or Menel du Canada, Fr. 

 Engraving. Mill. Icon., t. 80. f. 2. 



S}]ec. Char., Sfc. Branches twiggy. Leaves obovate-oblong, upright, glabrous, 

 indistinctly serrulated, glaucous beneath. Flowers upon peduncles, dis- 

 posed rather umbellately. Calyx bell-shaped, short. Fruit ovate, black. 

 {Dec. Prod., ii. p. 537.) A low somewhat procumbent shrub, a native of 

 North America, in Pennsylvania and Virginia, in low grounds and swamps. 

 Introduced in 1756. It grows to the height of 3 ft. or 4 ft., and produces 

 its flowers in May, which are succeeded by red and very acid fruit. It 

 forms a curious and rather handsome tree, when grafted standard high, and is 

 a fit companion for the other dwarf sorts, when so grafted. Sir W. J. Hooker 

 suspects this to be the same as C. depressa. It has been compared, Sir W. 

 J. Hooker observes, in its general habit, to .^mygdalus nana; and such a 

 comparison is equally applicable to C. depressa. (Fl. Bor. Amer., i. p. 167.) 



3 n 



