PIUJNUS.] ROSACES. 115 



Sub-sp. P. DOMES'TICA, L. ; bark brown, branches straight unarmed, leaves 

 pubescent on the ribs beneath, peduncles glabrous, drupe 1-1J in. diam., 

 black. Not indigenous, except in W. Asia. Wild Plum. 



SECTION 2. Cer'asus. Leaves conduplicate in bud. Flowers solitary 

 or fascicled, appearing with the leaves or after them. 



2. P. Cer'asus, L. ; leaves spreading oblong-obovate or elliptic crenate- 

 serrate glabrous, petiole short, corolla cup-shaped, petals firm suberect 

 obovate, fruit acid. Wild Cherry ; Dwarf Cherry. 



Copses, &c., from York southd., wild or well established; rare in Ireland? 

 Channel Islands ; fl. May. A bush or small tree with copious suckers ; bark 

 red ; branches slender, pendulous. Leaves dark blue-green. Flowers homoga- 

 mous ; buds with scarious outer scales and leafy inner ones. Calyx-tube not 

 constricted, lobes crenate. Petals notched. Fruit red, juice not staining. 

 Origin of the Morello, Duke, and Kentish cherries. DISTRIB. Europe 

 to W. Himalaya, Azores, Canaries. 



3. P. Avi'um, L. ; leaves drooping oblong-obovate acutely serrate pu- 

 bescent beneath, petiole long, corolla open, petals flaccid almost obcordate, 

 fruit sweet or bitter. Gean. 



Copses and woods from Caithness southd., probably wild only in the S. ; 

 Ireland ; fl. May. A tree without suckers, branches short, stout, rigid 

 ascending. Leaves large, pendulous, pale green. Flowers homogamous; 

 buds with none of the scales leafy. Calyx-tube constricted at the top, 

 lobes quite entire. Fruit with staining juice. Origin of the Geans, Hearts, 

 and Bigaroon cherries. DISTRIB. Europe to "W". Himalaya. 



SECTION 3. Laurocer'asus. Leaves conduplicate in bud. Flowers in 

 axillary or terminal racemes, appearing after the leaves. 



4. P. Padus, L. ; leaves elliptic or obovate acutely doubly serrate. 

 Bird Cherry. 



Copses and woods, from Caithness to S. "Wales and Leicester ; ascends to 1,500 

 ft. in Yorkshire ; Ireland ; fl. May. A tree, 10-20 ft. Leaves 2-4 in., un-- 

 equally cordate at the base, axils of the nerves pubescent; stipules linear- 

 subulate, glandular-serrate. Racemes 3-5 in., from short lateral buds, 

 lax-fld. Flowers J- in. diam., white, erect, then pendulous, proterogy- 

 nous ; pedicels | in., erect in fruit ; bracts deciduous, linear. Calyx-lobes 

 obtuse, glandular-serrate. Petals erose. Drupe % in., ovoid, black, bitter ; 

 stone globose, rugose. DISTJRIB. Europe (Arctic), N. Africa, N. and W. 

 Asia, Himalaya. 



2. SPIRJE'A, L. 



Perennial herbs or shrubs. Leaves alternate, simple or compound ; 

 stipules free or adnate to the petiole, rarely 0. Flowers in axillary or 

 terminal cymes, white or red. Calyx inferior, persistent ; lobes 4-5, im- 

 bricate or valvate in bud. Petals 4-5. Stamens 20-60, filaments free or 

 connate below. Disk fleshy, often hairy. Carpels 5 or more, free or con- 

 nate below ; styles subterminal ; ovules 2 or more, pendulous. Follicles 



I 2 



