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CHERRY. CERASUS. 



Natural order, Pomacea. A genus of the Icosandria Mo- 

 nogynia class. It was formerly considered by Botanists 

 as a distinct genus ; but Linrueus pronounces it of the 

 Prunus species. 



, the Greek name for the Cherry, was derived 

 from the Latin ; of most other plants and fruits the Latin 

 names are derived from the Greek : but this beautiful fruit 

 was procured and brought into Europe on occasion of the 

 overthrow of Mithridates, king of Pontus, when he was 

 driven from his dominions by Lucullus, the Roman gene- 

 ral, who found the cherry-tree growing in Cerasus, a city 

 of Pontus, (now called Keresoun, a maritime town be- 

 longing to the Turks in Asia,) which his army destroyed, 

 and whence this fruit derived the present name of Cherry. 

 Lucullus, who was as great an admirer ,of nature as he 

 was of the arts, thought this tree of so much importance, 

 that when he was granted a triumph, it was placed in the 

 most conspicuous situation among the royal treasures 

 which he obtained from the sacking of the capital of 

 Armenia ; and we doubt much if there was a more valuable 

 acquisition made to Rome by that war, which is stated 

 by Plutarch to have cost the Armenians 155,000 men. 

 We may very justly style it the fruit of the Mithridatic 

 war. 



Botany seems to have been more studied in early times 

 by distinguished persons than at present. In this instance 

 we find the conquered and the conqueror both botanists. 



