Prunus 1543 



5. Var. monstrosa, Kirchner, Arb. Muse. 258 (1864). Branches and branchlets 

 very short and thick. 



6. Var. variegata, Nicholson, loc. cit. Leaves variegated with white. 



7. Var. albomarginata, Dippel, loc. cit. Leaves with a white edge. 



P. Mahaleb is widely distributed in central and southern Europe, the Crimea, 

 Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Armenia, and Turkestan. In France it grows mainly on 

 rocky ground on the limestone formation, and occurs as far north as the departments 

 of Seine Infdrieure, where it is rare, and Pas-de-Calais ; but in the west is not 

 known wild north of La Rochelle. In Germany, it occurs in Alsace, Baden, and 

 Bavaria ; and, further east, is met with in lower Austria, Hungary, and Transylvania ; 

 but is more common southwards in the Tyrol, Carniola, Dalmatia, the Balkan States, 

 and Greece. It also occurs in northern Spain, and in a few localities in Switzerland. 



The scented kernels are sold in the bazaars of North-western India, and the 

 tree is cultivated in Baluchistan.^ The young branches are utilised for pipe-stems ; 

 and the tree is cultivated in Austria for this purpose.^ (A. H.) 



This can hardly be considered as a timber tree, as it rarely, if ever, exceeds 

 40 ft. high, but it produces, under favourable conditions, a trunk of considerable 

 thickness, which produces a wood known in France under the name of Bois de 

 St. Lucie^ formerly much sought after by turners and cabinetmakers. It was 

 introduced into England in 1764. Its principal use in England is as a stock on 

 which to graft cultivated cherries, but it is also sometimes planted as underwood for 

 game covert ; and Loudon says, that when grafted on the wild cherry stock it makes 

 a much larger tree than on its own roots. Whether this had been the cause of 

 the large size attained by a tree at Devonshurst, Chiswick,* or not, I cannot 

 say, but I measured this shortly before it was cut down to clear the site, and 

 found it 30 ft. high by 8 ft. 5 in. in girth, the spread of the foliage being 55 ft. in 

 diameter. In the public" gardens at Bury St. Edmunds there is a large old tree 

 about 40 ft. by 5 ft. 9 in. 



A tree in the Botanic Garden of Trinity College, Dublin, measured 40 ft. by 

 6 ft. in 1908. (H. J. E.) 



PRUNUS PADUS, Bird Cherry 



Prunus Padus, Linnaeus, Sp. PI. 473 (1753); Willkomm, Forstl. Flora, 901 (1887); Ascherson and 



Graebner, Syn. Mitteleurop. Flora, vi. pt. ii. 159 (1906). 

 Prunus racemosa, Lamarck, Fl. Franc, iii. 107 (1778). 

 Cerasus Padus, De CandoUe, Fl. Franc, iv. 480 (1805) ; Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit. ii. 709 (1838) ; 



Mathieu, Flore Forestilre, 141 (1897). 

 Padus vulgaris, Borkhausen, Handb. Forstbot. ii. 1426 (1803). 

 Padus racemosa, Schneider, Laubholzkunde, i. 639 (1906). 



A deciduous shrub or small tree, attaining about 30 ft. in height. Young 

 branchlets glabrous. Leaves, disagreeable in odour, averaging 4 in. long and 2 in. 



» Hooker, Fl. Brit. India, ii. 312 (1878). ^ Mathieu, Flore ForesHire, 141 (1897). 



5 Named after the monastery of Sainte-Lucie in the Vosges. 



* Devonshurst was a house, with pleasure grounds, built on the site of part of the Horticultural Society's Garden at 

 Chiswick, where a considerable number of interesting trees remained till 1904. Cf. Card. Chron. iv. 726 (1888). 



VI 2 E 



