Prunus 



PRUNUS CERASUS, Dwarf Cherry 



154I 



Prunus Cerasus, Linnaeus, 5/. PL 474 (1753); Willkomm, Forstliche Flora, 897 (1887); Schneider, 

 Laubholzkunde, i. 614 (1906); Ascherson and Graebner, Syn. MitteUurop. Flora, vi. pt. ii. 147 

 (1906). 



Prunus acida} Koch, Dendrologie, i. 112 (1869). 



Cerasus vulgaris. Miller, Gard. Diet. ed. 8, No. i (1768); Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit. ii. 

 693 (1838). 



Cerasus acida, Gaertner, Fl. Wettar. ii. 185 (1800) j Mathieu, Flore Forestiere, 139 (1897). 



A shrub or rarely a small tree, sending up numerous suckers from the root, and 

 distinguishable from P. Avium as follows : — Leaves smaller, almost but not quite 

 glabrous on the shining under surface ; glands often absent on the petiole. Flowers, 

 two to five in a cluster, generally on the long shoots, and not on short spurs, as in 

 P. Avium ; arising out of a bud, the inner scales of which are accrescent and leafy ; 

 calyx-tube glabrous, scarcely constricted at the apex, with obtuse deflexed crenate 

 lobes. Fruit globose, shining red, smooth ; stone smooth, brown. 



A considerable number of the orchard cherries have been derived from this 

 species. These constitute two well-marked groups ; those with colourless juice, like 

 the Kentish cherry, and those with coloured juice, like the Morellos. Var. acida 

 {Prunus acida, Koch) is a shrubby form, with small leaves, and dark red sour fruit, 

 with an ovoid stone. 



The following Varieties ^ are cultivated for ornament, being peculiar in leaves, 

 flowers, or habit. 



1. Var. semperflorens, Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit. ii. 701 (1838). 



Prunus semperflorens, Ehrhart, Beit. vii. 132 (1792). 

 Cerasus semperflorens, De CandoUe, FL Franc, iv. 481 (1805). 



Flowering and fruiting throughout the whole summer. This, which is usually 

 grafted high, is known as "All Saints' Cherry." Its origin is uncertain. Koch 

 states * that it comes true from seed. There is a good specimen at Kew ; and it is 

 cultivated by Messrs. Veitch. 



2. Var. persicifiora, Koch, Dendrologie, i. 11 1 (1869). Flowers double, rose- 

 coloured. 



3. Var. Rhexii, Kirchner, Arb. Muse. 252 (1864). Flowers double, white. 

 This is figured as var. ranunculiflora, in Flore des Serres, xvii. t. 1805 (1867- 1868). 



4. Var. cucullata, Kirchner, loc. cit. Leaves puckered with swellings. 



5. Var. aucub(zfolia, Dippel, Laubholzkunde, iii. 613 (1893). Leaves spotted 

 with yellow. 



6. Vox. globosa, Spath, Cat. 1887-1888, p. loi. Alow globose shrub, with small 

 leaves. 



P. Cerasus is usually considered to be a true native of south-eastern Europe, 

 Asia Minor, and the Caucasus ; but it has escaped from cultivation in many districts 



1 The name P. acida has been used by various authors for different forms of the cherry. P. acida, Ehrhart, Beit. vii. 

 130 (1792), was applied to the cultivated sour cherries with colourless sap. 



2 Carri^re, Prod, et Fix. Vars. 37 (1865), mentions several curious varieties which I have not seen. 



3 Dendrologie, i. 113 (1869). 



