488 XXIV. ROSACEAE 



seeds are spread by birds. In Burma the tree is evergreen or nearly so, and 

 this is also the case in the western Himalaya. When in flower it is very 

 handsome. In the western Himalaya it is common in open village lands 

 as well as in the forest. It stands a fair amount of shade, and may be found 

 flourishing under the moderate shade of other trees, though it flowers best 

 in the open. It reproduces fairly freely from root-suckers, and can be grown 

 from cuttings ; it forms a good stock plant for the common cherry. 



2. Prunus Padus, Linn. Syn. Padus cornuta, Carr. ; Cerasus corniita, 

 Wall. Bird cherry. Vern. Paras, kalakat, zam, Pb. ; Jamana, jamoi, 

 Jaunsar. 



A moderate-sized or large deciduous tree with brown scaly bark. Wood 

 with a handsome silver grain, suitable for furniture and deserving to be better 

 known. In Europe it is usually a rather small tree, but in the Himalaya it 

 attains a height of 60 ft. or sometimes more, and a girth of 6 ft. or over. 



Distribution and habitat. This is the most widely distributed of all 

 the species of Prunus, and is found throughout the greater part of Europe, 

 in Siberia, Manchuria, North China, Japan, Persia, the Caucasus, and the 

 Himalaya. In the Himalaya it is common chiefly at 6,000-10,000 ft., often 

 occurring more or less gregariously on rather moist pasture grounds and in 

 forest glades, associated with Acer caesium, Aesculus indica, Ulmiis Wallichiana, 

 and other broad-leaved species, as well as with conifers, particularly with yew 

 (Taxus haccafa), which in Hazara is often in the form of an underwood to it 

 (see Fig. 185). It is particularly common in Hazara, where it attains very fair 

 dimensions : on the higher ridges and grazing grounds at 9,000-10,000 ft., 

 where it is plentiful, it is often associated with Pyrus lanata. 



Leaf-shedding, flowering, and fruiting. The leaves turn red and 

 fall in the autumn, the tree remaining leafless during the winter and the new- 

 leaves appearing in the spring. The racemes of small white flowers appear 

 from April to June, and the fruits, red to nearly black drupes about 0-4 in. 

 in diameter, ripen from August to October. Fig. 184, a, shows the fruit-stone. 

 The seed is disseminated by birds, which eat the fruits. 



Germination (Fig. 184, h, c). Epigeous. The fruit-stone splits in two, 

 enabling the radicle to emerge. The hypocotyl elongates, carrying the coty- 

 ledons above ground, while the two halves of the fruit-stone are left on the 

 ground. 



The seedling (Fig. 184). 



Roots : primary root moderately long, wiry, flexuose : lateral roots 

 moderate in number and length, fibrous, distributed down main root. Hypo- 

 cotyl distinct from root, 1-2 in. long, terete, fusiform or tajDermg upwards, 

 red, minutely pubescent and tender when young, brown, glabrous and woody 

 in second year. Cotyledons : petiole very short, flattened : lamina 0-25-0-3 in. 

 by 0-15-0-2 in., plano-convex, fleshy, elliptical or obovate, entii'e, glabrous. 

 Stem erect, slightly compressed, minutely pubescent ; first internode, above 

 cotyledons, 0-6-1 -5 in. long, subsequent internodes of first season very short, 

 leaves being crowded together. Leaves simple, first pair opposite, subsequent 

 leaves alternate or sub-opposite, approximate. Stipules 0-2-0-3 in. long, 

 linear acuminate, fimbriate. Petiole 0-2-0-4 in. long. Lamina 1-2-5 in. by 

 0-5-1 in., ovate lanceolate, acute or acuminate, base acute or tapering, serrate, 

 glabrous, venation arched, veins prominent, depressed above, raised beneath, 

 lateral veins 7-10 pairs. 



