PRUNUS- PSEUDOLARIX 257 



P. VIRGINIANA, Linnczus. VIRGINIAN BIRD CHERRY. 



(Padus virginiana, Roemer.') 



Usually a shrub in a wild state, 2 to 15 ft. high, occasionally a tree, 

 deciduous, with grey, smooth branchlets. Leaves varying from broadly oval 

 to broadly obovate, with a short abrupt point, finely toothed ; i to 5 ins. 

 long, two-thirds as wide ; smooth, shining, and dark green above, paler 

 beneath, with tufts of down in the vein-axils beneath ; stalk \ to f in. long, 

 with two or more glands. Flowers white, \ in. or rather more across, pro- 

 duced in racemes 3 to 6 ins. long, I in. wide, terminating short leafy shoots. 

 Fruit dark red, round, - in. across, very harsh to the taste. 



Native of the eastern and central United States and Canada ; introduced 

 to England in 1724, but not often seen now. It is much rarer in gardens 

 than its near ally, P. serotina, which has a black rather than a red fruit and 

 proportionately narrower leaves. The Western N. American P. demissa is 

 perhaps a variety of this, with thicker leaves and fruits not so harsh to the 

 palate. P. virginiana flowers well during May in England, and is pretty then, 

 but does not bear fruit so freely as our native bird cherry. 



Var. NANA. A dwarf form. 



P. WATSONI, Sargent. SAND PLUM. 



(Garden and Forest, 1894, fig. 25.) 



A deciduous shrub or small tree, 6 to 12 ft. high, with smooth, reddish 

 branchlets. Leaves ovate, pointed, decurved, i to if ins. long, \ to f in. 

 wide ; shallowly round-toothed, dark shining green above, paler below, quite 

 smooth on both surfaces : stalk j to \ in. long, grooved, with two glands near 

 the base of the blade. Flowers white, \ in. diameter, produced in clusters of 

 three or four, each on a slender stalk in. long. Fruit round, orange-red, 

 | in. diameter, the stone deeply pitted. 



Native of the central United States, where it is said to form thickets in 

 low, sandy soils near streams. It was first recognised as a distinct species by 

 Sargent in 1894, having previously been confused with P. angustifolia, from 

 which it differs in its "thicker leaves, thicker skinned fruit, and smaller more 

 deeply pitted stone." It is very distinct from angustifolia in its behaviour 

 under cultivation, thriving well where that species is a total failure. Intro- 

 duced to Kew in 1897. It flowers in late April and May, but is not one of 

 the most effective plums in this country. 



PSEUDOLARIX FORTUNEI, Mayr. GOLDEN LARCH. 

 CONIFERS. 



(Bot. Mag., t. 8176; P. Kaempferi, Gordon ; Larix Kaempferi, Carriere^) 



A deciduous tree, occasionally 100 to 130 ft. high, with a trunk 

 2 to 3 ft. thick ; branches spreading horizontally ; young shoots smooth. 

 Leaves linear, i\ to z\ ins. long, T ^- to \ in. wide; produced in a 

 radiating cluster from the end of short, spur-like branches, or on terminal 

 shoots singly and spirally arranged. Their arrangement and general 

 aspect are similar to those of larch, but the leaves are stouter and larger 

 than those of any true larch. In spring they are of a tender yellowish 

 shade of green, and in autumn they turn a rich golden yellow before 



