CHAP. XLII. liOHA'CEM. C'E'RASUS. 709 



1 22. C. Pa'dus Dec. The Bird Cherry Tree. 



Jdentification. Dec. FI. Fr., 4. p. 580. ; Prod., 2. p. 5o9. ; Don's Mill., 2. p. 515. 



Synonymes. i'rOnus PaAus, Lin. Sp., eni.. Hook. Brit. Flora, p. 22U., Smith Eng. Flora, 2. p. 351. ; 



Bird Cherry, Fowl Cherry ; Hag-berry, Scot. ; Ccrisier Ji Grappcs, Merisier ^ Grappes, Lau. 



rier-Putier, or Putiet, faux Bois de Ste. Lucie, Fr. ; Hag-bier, Siredis/i ; Traubeden Kirsche, Ger. 

 Engravings. Eng. Bot., t. 1583. ; and the plate of this species in our Second Volume. 



SjJcc. Char., Sfc. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, somewhat acuminate, thin, serru- 

 late, with the teeth rather spreading. Racemes long, leafy. Fruit round, 

 bitter. Wild, on hills and in hedges, in Europe. {Dec. Prod., ii. p. 539.) 

 A low tree, indigenous in most parts of central Europe, and as far north 

 as Lapland. Scringe, in Dec. Prod., has characterisecl four forms of this 

 species, as follows : — 



S C. P. 1 vulgdris Ser. C. Padus Dec. (Fl. Fr., iv. p. 580.) and Lois. 

 (JV. Du Ham., v. t. L) — This kind has large flowers loosely disposed 

 upon long pedicels, and black fruit. 

 i C. P. 2 jxirviflora Ser. {CEd. Fl. Dan., t. 205.) — This has smaller 

 flowers, upon shorter pedicels, which are disposed more densely ; 

 and black fruit. 

 5f C. P. 3 riibra Ser. — This has red fruit. It is the C. Padus fructu 

 riibro of Dec. and of Loiseleur, in the places cited above; and, 

 according to Ait. Hort. Kcw., 2d ed. p. 299., it is the Prunus rubra 

 of Willd. Arb., 237. t. 4. f. 2. 

 5^ C. P. 4 bravtcQsa Ser. — This has very numerous flowers, and their 

 pedicels are attended by long bracteas. It is a very beautiful 

 variety, distinguished by its long racemes of flowers at the points of 

 the shoots, by which the latter are bent down, both when in blossom 

 and when the fruit is ripe, so as to give the whole tree a pendulous 

 appearance. 



Description. In a wild state, the bird cherry forms a small tree, or large 

 bush, of 10 ft. or 12 ft. in height; but, in good soil, and trained to a single 

 stem, it will attain to double that height, or more, with a trunk upwards of a 

 foot in diameter. The branches are spreading, and covered with a purplish 

 bark, spotted with white. The leaves are finely serrated, smooth, and some- 

 what glaucous ; and their scent, when bruised, resembles that of rue._ The 

 flowers are of a pure white, in copious, long, drooping clusters, making an 

 elegant appearance in spring, but scarcely lasting a fortnight. The fruit is 

 small, black, austere, and bitter, with a large corrugated nut. " Birds of 

 several kinds soon devour this fruit, which is nauseous, and probably dan- 

 gerous to mankind ; though, perhaps, like that of the cherry laurel, not of 

 so deadly a quality as the essential oil or distilled water of the leaves." 

 (Eng. Flora, ii. p. 3"54.) The tree grows rapidly when young, attaining the 

 height of 10 ft. or 12 ft. in 5 or 6 years ; and, as it has a loose head, and bears 

 pruning, it allows the grass to grow under it. 



Geographj/, Histori/, Sfc. The bird cherry is found wild in woods in most 

 parts of Europe, and in the north-west of Asia. It grows on Mount Cauca- 

 sus, in Russia, in Siberia as far as lat. 62° N., in Lapland as far as lat. 70° N., 

 and in Kamtschatka. It is to be found in every part of England, and in 

 many places in Scotland and Ireland. In the north of England, according 

 to Winch, it grows to the height of 1600 ft. above the level of the sea. In 

 Scotland, it is common as an undergrowth, in native woods, more particularly 

 in tolerably dry soils. It was known to Theophrastus (see p. 17.) ; and seems 

 to have been first noticed by Matthiolus on the Continent, and by Gerard in 

 Britain. Gerard says that, in his time, it grew wild in the woods of Kent, 

 where it was used as a stock to graft cherries on, more particularly the 

 Flanders cherry. In Lancashire, he says, it was found in almost every hedge. 



Properties and Uses. The wood is hard and yellowish, and, in a green state, 

 it has a disagreeable bitter odour and taste ; whence the French name jmtief, 

 ti-om piier. It is much sought after in France by the cabinetmakers and 

 turners, who increase the beauty of its veining by sawing out the boards dia- 

 ironally, that is, obli({neIv across" the trunk, instead of parallel with its length, 



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