Prunus.] XXXII. EOSACETE. 195 



Nearly glabrous ; young liranchlets, inflorescence, and axils of nerves on 

 the underside of leaves pubescent. Leaves conduplicate in bud, oblong 

 or obovate, greatest width generally above the middle, acuminate, serrate, 

 slightly cordate at the base ; stipules linear, early deciduous. Flowers 

 white in lax racemes, appearing after the leaves, 3-8 in. long at the end 

 of short lateral, often leaf-bearing branches. Bracts linear, caducous. 

 Stamens 25-30. Drupe globose, ^ in. long, red first, then dark purple or 

 nearly black. 



Himalaya, between 4000 and 10,000 ft., at times ascending to 12,000 ft., from 

 the Indus to Sikkim. Occasionally planted. A widely-spread tree, from North 

 and Central Europe through Siberia to Amur land and Kamtchatka. Cau- 

 casus and Western Asia. Deciduous, the mature foliage dark green, turning 

 red before its fall, generally in autumn, sometimes as eafly as June. PL April- 

 June to Sept. Fr. usually ripens July-Oct., remains long hanging on the tree. 



Usually found in mixed forests; thrives best in moist places, where it attains 

 50 to 60 ft., with a girth of 5-6 ft. Bark ^ in. thick, brown or purple, fairly 

 smooth, a scurfy tuberculate grey pellicle peeling off. Wood brownish white, 

 close- and even-grained, takes a fine polish. In France it is occasionally used by 

 cabinet-makers. The fruit is sour, with a slight mawkish astringent flavour, biat 

 is much eaten by the >ii11 people. In Sweden and Lapland, and some parts of 

 Russia, the bruised fruit is fermented, and a spirit distilled from it. The unripe 

 fruit of this species is often attacked by an insect, and then swells out into a 

 curved horn-like excrescence ; hence Wallich's name of /". cornuta. Similar 

 excrescences are often found on Pliun-trees in Europe, particularly on prunes 

 (Zwetschen) in Germany. The leaves are considered excellent cattle-fodder. 



A small tree, resembling f. Fadws, with coriaceous, oblong-lanceolate leaves, 

 and numerous short lateral racemes, 2-4 in. long, and 10-20, generally 15 

 stamens, is F. capricida, Wall., in the Himalaya, between 6500 and 8000 ft., 

 from the Jumna to Bhutan, and in the Kasia hills. 



9. P. Mahaleb, Linn. — Syn. Cerasus Mahaleb, Boissier Fl. Orient, 

 ii. 649. French, Bois de Ste-Lucie. German, Weichsel Kirsclie. 



A small deciduous, glabrous tree. Leaves ovate, obtusely- serrate ; 

 petioles |- or | the length of leaf. Flowers fragrant, on lateral, peduncu- 

 late, corymbose racemes on the previous 'year's wood, lower pedicels 1 in. 

 long and longer. Drupes ovoid, compressed, J in. long. 



Cultivated at Kelat in Beluchistan (Stocks). Wild'in Western Asia, on the 

 Caucasus. Wild or naturalised in South and Central Europe. The scented 

 kernels are sold as medicinal in the bazaars of Sindh and South India. (On 

 the Rhine, as far north as Altenahr and the Drachenfels.) The wood of the 

 European tree is prized on account of its fragrance, hardness, and the fine polish 

 it takes. Tobacco-pipe tubes and snuff-boxes are made of it. It is believed 

 that this tree was introduced from the East into Europe simultaneously with the 

 Horse-chestnut tree. Hardy in England. 



2. PRINSEPIA, Eoyle. 



A shrub with lanceolate, serrate leaves and bisexual flowers. Calyx 



persistent, tube cup-shaped, with 5 unequal, rounded lobes, imbricate in 



bud. Petals 5, inserted at the mouth of calyx, rounded, short-clawed. 



Stamens numerous, inserted with petals, multiseriate, with short filaments ; 



