362 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO GABDEN PLANTS 



PBUNUS 



in Marcli and April, beautiful soft rose or 

 white, in great profusion. 



Culture and Propagation. — This 

 species should be planted in warm 

 sheltered spots. It is said to come true 

 from seed, but is often grafted on stocks 

 5-6 ft. high, to display its drooping cha- 

 racter to advantage. 



P. pennsylvanica (American Wild 

 Red Cherry). — A graceful N. American 

 tree 20-30 ft. high, with light reddish- 

 brown bark, and oblong lance-shaped, 

 pointed leaves, finely and sharply 

 serrated, shining green and smooth on 

 both sides. Flowers in May, white, manj' 

 in a cluster. Fruit small, light red, 

 round, sour. 



Culture dc. as above. 



P. Persica (Persica vulgaris). — The 

 Peach. — The wild Peach is supposed to be 

 of Asiatic origin. It grows about 15 ft. 

 high, has smooth, lance-shaped, serrated 

 leaves, and light or dark red, stalkless 

 flowers in April and May. 



There are several varieties, that with 

 double flowers, flore plena, being one of 

 the best ; the purple-leaved variety 

 known as foliis rubris is pretty and 

 distinct, and tnagnifica is a newer form 

 surpassing in beauty any of the others. 

 The variety Icevis is the origin of the 

 Nectarine, and is distinguished from the 

 Peach by its smooth- skinned and rather 

 firmer fruit. 



Culture dec. as above. The treatment 

 of the cultivated Peach and Nectarine 

 will be found at p. 1078. 



P. prostrata. — A rare and lovely 

 dwarf Cherry, native of the mountains of 

 the Levant, with long slender branches 

 arching outwards and downwards to the 

 ground. The broadly ovate finely toothed 

 leaves are lA-2 in. long on cultivated 

 plants, but are usually much smaller in 

 wild specimens. The flowers, which are 

 borne in great profusion on \ery short 

 stalks, are about f in. across, and of a 

 bright rose colour. 



Cultu re Sc. as above, p. 356. 



P. pseudo-cerasus (P. jja;(«-HiaiB.). — 

 Bastard Cherry. — A pretty Chinese and 

 Japanese Cherry 6-20 ft. high, with downy 

 branches and flower stalks, and obovate 

 pointed, serrated leaves. Flowers in April 

 and May, white or rosy-white, each about 

 2 in. across, in racemes. Fruit pale red, 

 small, with a pleasant acid flavour. 



The double-flowered varieties are far 

 more beautiful and valuable ornamental 

 trees than the type. In flore plena the 

 flowers are white at first, but are after- 

 wards suffused with pink. Water eri is 

 another fine double variety. 



Culture dc. as above. 



P. Puddum.— A rare Chen-y 10-20 ft. 

 high, native of the Bhotan and Sikkim 

 Himalayas, where it grows at an elevation 

 of 5,000-8,000 ft. The smooth serrate 

 leaves are 8-4 in. long, and the beautiful 

 soft rosy flowers, each about 4 in. across, 

 are borne in great profusion about April 

 and May on leafless twigs. The red 

 Cherry-like fruits are produced fairly 

 freely in warm and sheltered spots. 



Culture dc. as above. 



P. pumila {Cerasus depiressa ; C. 

 glauca). — A pretty N. American Cherry 

 3-6 ft. high,, having dark coloured twigs 

 clothed with bright green oblong leaves 

 about 2 in. long. The white flowers are 

 produced in great abundance during April 

 and May, but in some varieties they are 

 purer and prettier than in others. 



Culttire dc. as above, p. 356. This 

 species is easily increased by cuttings of 

 the well -ripened shoots inserted in light 

 sandy soil in September, at which period 

 the lower branches also may be layered. 

 Grown in masses or groups this species 

 looks very effective. 



P. serotina. — A rather pretty Bird 

 Cherry 20-40 ft. liigh, native of Canada 

 and Central America, where it sometimes 

 reaches a height of about 100 ft. The 

 dark green glossy leaves resemble those 

 of the Portugal Laurel (P. htsitanica), 

 and readily distinguish it from the other 

 Cherries. The whitish flowers appear 

 early in June, and are borne in gi-eat 

 profusion on racemes 3-6 in. long. The 

 variety peiidula differs from the type in 

 bavins a drooping habit of growth. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 356. 



P. semilata {Cerasus serrulata ; C. 

 Sieboldi). — Double Chinese Cherry. — A 

 beautiful Chinese tree 15 ft. high, with 

 smooth, obovate-acute, sharply serrated 

 leaves. Flowers in April, pale white or 

 rose - tinted, double, in clusters. The 

 single-flowered type does not appear to be 

 in cultivation. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 356. 



P. Simoni. — An erect-growing, some- 

 what fastigiate Chinese Almond with 



