Prunus.] XXXII. ROSACEA. 193 



the Panjab plains, and in Afghanistan. The wood is light or dark reddish- 

 brown, smooth to work. In Kashmir the skeleton of the so-called Papier-mache 

 boxes is made of it. About Almora two kinds of plum are cultivated, one a 

 dark-blue damson (Bhotiya badam), ripens in July, the other (Ladakh) orange- 

 red, much larger, and ripens in June (Madden As. Soc. Jour. xvii. pt. I. 445). 



The cultivation of plums and prunes in Europe is very old, probably as old 

 as that of pears and apples. Plinius mentions a large number of varieties (in- 

 gens turba prunorum). Some of the better kinds, however {damascena), were 

 brought from Syria. 



5. P. Cerasus, Linn. ; Hook. Stud. Flora 107. Cherry. Vern. Gilds, 

 olchi, krusbal, Pb. Him. 



An unarmed shrub, or moderate-sized tree ; glabrous or nearly so. 

 Leaves conduplicate in bud, elliptic or obovate, abruptly acuminate, irregu- 

 larly crenate-serrate ; petiole less than the breadth of leaf, 2 glands on 

 the edge of leaf near base, or on the petiole ; stipules linear or subulate, 

 fimbriate. Flowers white, on long slender peduncles in fascicles of 2-5, 

 from lateral generally leaf-bearing buds. Calyx turbinate, lobes obtuse. 

 Drupe smooth, sweet or acid, with a polished round stone. 



I follow Bentham 1. c. 237, and Hooker, in classing the sweet and acid Cher- 

 ries as one species. The following are commonly accepted as the distinctive 

 characters of the two sub-species. 



a. P. Avium, Linn.; Boissier Fl. Orient, ii. 649. A tree, without root-suckers; 

 leaves flaccid, drooping, hairy beneath, petiole with 2 glands. Flower-bearing 

 buds leafless, peduncles drooping ; calyx-tube contracted at the mouth, lobes 

 entire, subacute ; fruit sweet. Indigenous in Europe and North Africa. 



b. P. Cerasus, Linn.' Syn. Cerasus capro?iiana, DC. ; Boissier 1. c. 649. A 

 shrub, or small tree, numerous suckers from the root ; leaves subcoriaceous, 

 firm, shining, erect, no glands on petiole. Flower-bearing buds leaf-bearing, 

 peduncles stiff ; calyx-tube not contracted at the mouth, lobes serrate, obtuse. 

 Fruit acid, naturalised in Europe, indigenous in Western Asia. It must have 

 been a variety of the acid cherry which was introduced to Eome by Lucullus. 

 Sweet cherries were cultivated in Italy before his time. 



Several varieties of cherries are cultivated in Kashmir, Bussahir, and else- 

 where in the North- West Himalaya, generally between 5000 and 8000 ft. ; some 

 are also found in a seemingly wild state. Fl. April- May. In Kashmir the fruit 

 ripens in June. A moderate-sized tree, with short trunk, and a rounded dark- 

 green crown. The bark flakes off in horizontal belts. 



6. P. prostata, Labillardiere ; Sibth. Fl. Grasca t. 478. Vern. Tara, 

 ter, talle, Pb., Him. 



A small scraggy shrub, 5-6 ft. high ; branchlets hoary. Leaves ovate or 

 oblong, sharp-serrate, narrowed into short petiole, glabrous above, densely 

 clothed with white woolly tomentum beneath ; petiole without glands. 

 Flowers red, on short peduncles, appearing with the leaves, generally 

 twin from lateral buds. Calyx-tube cylindrical, pubescent or glabrous 

 outside, teeth short, obtuse, hairy inside. Fruit ovoid or subglobose, -| in. 

 long, reddish purple when ripe, with scanty pulp. 



North Afghanistan frequent between 11,000 and 12,000 ft. Common in the 

 arid parts of the North- West Himalaya. Kashmir (5000-7000 ft.), Chenab 

 (7500-8500 ft.), Lahoul (10,000 ft.), Ravi, rare (7500-8500 ft.), Sutlej (8000 ft.). 



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