74 DIALYPETALOUS EXOGENS 



Stem, 30 to 60 feet or more in height, branching regularly, and somewhat rerti- 

 cillately, so as to form an oblong and rather conical top. Leaves 3 to 5 or 6 inches 

 long ; petioles an inch to an inch and a half in length. Pedicels of the flowers 

 about as long as the petioles, slender, usually 3 (often 2) in a fascicle. Drupes of 

 various size and color, tender, and often very succulent, sweet, or bitterish-sweet, 

 Hob. About houses; along fence-rows, &c. Fl. April. Fr. June. 



Obs. Cherries are said to have been originally brought to Rome 

 from Cerasus, a city of Pontus, by the Roman Consul and General, 

 LUCULLTJS, some 60 or 70 years before the Christian era (ab urbe 

 conditd' 680. Willd.}; and from Rome they have been distributed 

 over the rest of the civilized world. Our cultivated Cherry trees 

 seem obviously to consist of at least two original species, viz. the 

 sweet "English Cherry" so called and the common Sour Cherry. 

 The numerous varieties produced by long culture (and possibly 

 some hybrids, such as the "May-duke" &c.) may perhaps be all 

 referred to one or the other of those two ; though Prof. DE CAN- 

 DOLLE distributes them iniofour species. There are, undoubtedly, 

 several very distinct sorts of fruit, and I have not seen all the 

 trees which produce them : but I incline to think that the general 

 habit and aspect of the trees -commonly seen in this country, warrant 

 the reduction of them all to the two above referred to. 



3. C. VuLGXms, Mill. Branches spreading, slender and flexible; 

 leaves lance-ovate and obovate, acute or acuminate, mostly narrowed 

 at base, serrate, smoothish ; drupes globose. 



COMMON CERASUS. Red or Sour Cherry. Morello Cherry, &c. 



Stem 10 to 20 feet high, irregularly branched ; branches rather slender and 

 flaccid, spreading nearly horizontally and forming a roundish bushy top. Leaves 

 1% to 3 inches long; petioles half an inch to an inch in length. Pedicels of the 

 flowers about as long as the petioles, 2, or more frequently 3, in a fascicle. Drupes 

 fleshy, more or less acid, red or dark purple when mature. 

 Sab. Fence-rows; along lanes, &c. FL April. Fr. July. 



Obs. The "Sour Cherry'* is the most common and, for culinary 

 purposes, the most valuable of the genus. The Morello Cherry is a 

 remarkably fine variety, with a rich purple juice, and in the days 

 of " Cherry Bounce," was a great favorite: But, for the last 30 

 years, it has almost entirely failed, in this region, in consequence, 

 apparently, of the ravages of an insect, causing large warty excres- 

 cences on the branches of the tree. 



f f Flowers in racemes at the end of leafy branches. 



4. C. VirgiiiUiiia,, DC. A shrub ; leaves oval or obovate, ab- 

 ruptly acuminate, sharply and often doubly serrate. 



C. obovata, Beck. $ Fl. Cestr. ed. 2. p. 599. 

 VIRGINIAN CERASUS. Choke Cherry. 



Stem 5 to 8 or 10 feet high, branching. Leaves 2 to 4 inches long, thinnish ; pet- 

 ioles half an inch to three-quarters in length. Flowers in simple racemes of 2 to 3 

 inches in length, on short branches which originated from the last year's growth. 

 Drupes ovoid, rather acute, dark red or purplish when mature, astringent and bit- 

 terish. 

 Bab. Banks of the Brandywine: rare. Fl. May. Fr. Aug. 



Obs. It appears, from the researches of Dr. GRAY, that this is 



