1454 



PRUNUS 



PRUNUS 



no central leader (compare Figs. 426 and 427, Vol. 1): 

 Ivs. ovate-obovate or short-ovate, abruptly short-pointed, 

 stiff and parchment-like and more or less glossy above, 

 light or gray-green: fls. in small clusters from lateral 

 buds mostly in advance of the Ivs., the scales of the 

 fl.-buds small: fr. roundish or depressed-globular, red, 

 soft-fleshed, acid: stone globular. Native to Asia Mi- 

 nor and perhaps to southeastern Europe. — P. Cerasus 

 is the common Pie Cherry of old yards. It escapes into 

 fence-rows and other waste places, forming dense 

 thickets, as the Plum does. It sprouts from the root. 

 The various Morellos belong here; also the Montmo- 

 rency, Louis Phillippe, and others. There are at least 

 two well-marked groups of these pomological Cherries — 

 those with uncolored juice (Aiuarelles, the Pntnus acida 

 of some), and those with colored juice (Morellos or 

 Griottes ) . To the former group belong the Montmorency, 

 Early Richmond, and several early varieties. The 

 Prunus acida of Karl Koch (Cerasus acida, Dumort.) 

 is a bush-like plant with slender pendulous branches 

 and smaller Ivs., the petioles usually gland-bearing (less 

 so in P. Cerasus ) , the fruit dark red and sour, the stone 

 ovoid; of this plant P. semper florens (No. 23) is a form. 

 It is generally considered, however, that this P. acida, 

 including P. semperflorens, is a derivative from P. 

 Cerasus. Even if it is a distinct species, the name P. 

 ncida of Koch cannot stand, for it is antedated by the 

 P. acida of Ehrhart; P. semperfJorens, Ehrh., therefore, 

 must hold as the species-name. Ornamental forms of 

 P. Cerasus are: Var. ranunculifldra, Hort. (C. BMxii, 

 Hort.). Pis. full double, white, F. S. 17:1805. Var. 

 persicaefldra, Hort. Fls. full, double, light rose or pink. 

 Var. variegata, Hort. Lvs. variegated with yellow and 

 dull white. 



Subgenus III. Padus (including Laurocerasus). 



Fruit small and globular, rarely used for eating: fls. 

 white, small, in distinct racemes, not preceding the lvs., 

 or arising from the axils of persistent lvs. of the year 

 before. 



A. Padus proper: lvs. deciduous: fls. on leafy shoots 



of the season. 

 B. Calyx-lobes persistent at the base of the fr.: fls. ap- 

 pearing relatively late in the season: large trees. 



29. ser6tina, Ehrh. Wild Black Cherry. Strong, 

 straight tree, reaching 100 ft., with very dark brown 

 bitter-aromatic bark: lvs. oblong, lance-oblong or ob- 

 long-ovate, tapering to a point, thickish and firm, shin- 

 ing above, with many small incurved callous teeth : fls. 

 in long, loose racemes, appearing when the lvs. are 

 nearly full grown: fr. size of a pea, purple-black, bit- 

 terish, ripening in late summer and September. Gen- 

 erally distributed from Nova Scotia to Dakota, south to 

 Fla. and Texas. S.S. 4:1.59. — A valuable timber tree, 

 furnishing lumber for cabinet work and house finish- 

 ings ; also a fine lawn tree. It is much used in forestry 



Var. salicifdlia, Koehne {P, salicifblia, HBK. P. 

 Cdpuli, Ga.v. Ce'rasus Cdpollin, DC). Capulin. Lvs= 

 narrower (usually narrowly lanceolate), smooth and 

 shining, usually more leathery. Western Tex., Ariz., 

 New Mex., Mex. and south. R.H. 1888, p. 137; 1893:496. 



1994. Prunus Pennsylvanica (X 34). No. 21. 



plantings. Var. p6ndula, Hort., has drooping branches. 

 Var. varieg^ta, Hort., has ycllow-niarked lvs. Var. 

 cartilaginea, Hort. (var. Caj-fhai/hia, Hort., by error. 

 P. cartilaginen, Lelim.), is a han<lsoine form with very 

 long, shining lvs. Var. asplenifdlia, Hort., has narrow, 

 ■deeply toothed lvs. 



igf^S. Prunus semperflorens (X /^). No. 23. 



BB. Calyx-lobes not persistent on the fr.: fls. early: 

 small trees. 



30. Virgini^na, Linn. Choke Cherry. Fig. 2000. 

 Bush or sometimes a small tree 30 ft. tall, with rough 

 speckled bark and a strong odor when bruised: lvs. 

 thin, oval-oblong or obovate, abruptly pointed, very 

 sharply serrate, with spreading or at least not incurved 

 teeth: fls. in short, dense racemes in spring with the 

 lvs. : fr. size of pea, in summer, red or amber-colored 

 (the latter var. leucocdrpa, Wats.), puckery : stone 

 smooth. Generally distributed over northern North 

 America to the Arctic circle and occurring in the moun- 

 tains of Mex. S.S. 4:158. — Now and then a large-fruited 

 variety is found, fit for eating. Sometimes planted for 

 ornament. There is a weeping form, var. p6nduIa,Hort. ; 

 a dwarf form, var. nd,na, Hort. ; a narrow-lvd. form, var. 

 salicifdlia, Hort. The fruit is usually unfit for eating, 

 but forms are known with edible fruit. 



Var. demissa, Torr. (P. deniissa, Walp.). Lvs. more 

 rounded or even subcordate, somewhat pubescent, 

 thicker: fr. dark red or purple-black, large and edible. 

 Nebraska and Dakota, west and south. — Considered by 

 Bessey (Nebr. Hort. 1895, p. 164) to be worthy of im- 

 provement as a fruit plant. He thinks it more nearly 

 related to P. serotina than to P. Virginiana. 



31. Pi,dus, Linn. Extropean Bird Cherry. Very like 

 P. Virginiana, but has larger fls. on longer pedicels, in 

 longer and looser often drooping somewhat leafy ra- 

 cemes: fls. appearing a week later: stone rough. Eu- 

 rope and Asia. Gn. 53, p. 92. — Common in cult, in many 

 forms: var. p6ndula, Hort., drooping; var. varieg^ta, 

 Hort., in several forms, as aurea, aucnba'folin , mar- 

 ni ora la, Albert i. Var. commutita, Dipp. (P. Gray<\na, 

 Hort., not Maxim.) is noteworthy because it is one of 

 the earliest of all trees to leaf out in spring. G.F. 



