chap. xlti. bosa'ce^. ce'rasus. 705 



Spec. Char., $c. Leaves oblong-oval, or oval, abruptly acuminate. Flowers 

 glabrous, disposed umbellately. Lobes of the calyx lanceolate. Fruit 

 nearly ovate, and blackish. (Dec. Prod., ii. p. 538.) A shrub, growing to 

 the height of 3 ft. or 4 ft., on the western mountains of Virginia and Caro- 

 lina. The fruit is small, black, and extremely astringent, but eatable in 

 winter. It is commonly called by the inhabitants the black choke cherry. 

 It was introduced into England in 1805, but is not common in collections. 

 Sir W.J. Hooker says that this species is unknown to him, and that Dr. 

 Darlington thinks the P. hyemalis of Elliot is the P. nigra of authors, 

 and his P. americana : such is the state of confusion which exists among 

 the species of this genus. In all probability, if all the alleged species were 

 grown in the same garden, not above half of them would be found distinct. 



& 15. C. chi'casa Michx. The Chicasaw Cherry Tree. 



Identification. Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 1. p. 284. ; Lois in N. Du Ham., 5. p. 183. ; Dec. Prod., 2. 



p. 538. ; Don's Mill., 2. p. 514. 

 Synonymes. Prunus chfeasa Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 1. p. 332. ; P. insititia Walt. Carol. ; Chicasaw 



Plum, in Carolina. 



Spec. Char., cfc. Branches glabrous, becoming rather spiny. Leaves oblong- 

 oval, acute, or acuminate. Flowers upon very short peduncles, and mostly 

 in pairs. Calyx glabrous, its lobes very short. Fruit nearly globose, small, 

 yellow. ( Dec. Prod., ii. p. 538.) A shrub, growing to the height of 6 ft. 

 in Virginia and Carolina, where it flowers in April and May; and the flowers 

 are succeeded by a small, yellow, agreeably tasted fruit. According to 

 Michaux, it was introduced into the cultivated parts of North America by 

 the Chicasaw Indians; and hence it is commonly called the Chicasaw plum. 

 Pursh observes that, as it generally occurs where ancient Indian camps 

 have been formed, Michaux's conjecture may be correct. It was intro- 

 duced into England in 1806, and plants of it are in Loddiges's arboretum. 

 Sir W. J. Hooker observes that a plant which he received under this 

 name appeared to him identical with C. borealis. 



si 16. C. pube'scens Ser. The pubescent Cherry Tree. 



Identification. Seringe in Dec. Prod., 2. p. 538. ; Don's Mill., 2. p. 514. 



Synonymes. Prunus pub^scens Ph. Fl. Amer. Sept., 1. p. 331. ; P. sphaerocarpa Michx. FL Bor. Amer., 

 1. p. 284., not of Swartz. 



Spec. Char.,Sfc. Young branches pubescent. Leaves with the disk shortly oval, 

 serrulated, and usually with 2 giands at its base. Flowers in sessile umbels, 

 few in an umbel ; pedicels and calyxes pubescent. Fruit upon a short pedi- 

 cel, globose, brownish purple, austere. (Dec. Prod., ii. p. 538.) A low shrub, 

 a native of the western parts of Pennsylvania, on the borders of lakes. Its 

 flowers are smaller than those of any other American species ; and they are 

 succeeded by fruit of a brownish purple, very astringent. It was intro- 

 duced into England in 1820, and there are plants of it in Loddiges's arbo- 

 retum. 



± 17. C. pennsylva'nica Lois. The Pennsylvanian Cherry Tree. 



Identification. Lois, in N. Du Ham., 5. p. 9. ; Dec. Prod., 2. p. 539. ; Don's Mill., 2. p. 514. 

 Synonymes. Prunus pennsylvanica L. Fil. Suppl., p. 252., Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept., 1. p. 331.; P. 



pennsylvanica Willd. Baum. edit. 1811, p. 310. ; P. lanceolata Willd. Abb., p. 240. 

 Engraving. Willd. Abb., p. 240. t. 3. f. 3. 



Spec. Char., 8;c. Leaves with two glands at the base of the disk, which is oblong.lanceolate, acu- 

 minate, and glabrous. Flowers disposed in grouped sessile umbels, which have something of the 

 character of panicles. {Bee. Prod., ii. p. 539.) A native of North America, found wild from New 

 England to Virginia, in woods and plantations. According to Pursh, it very much resembles the 

 common cherry. The fruit is small, but agreeable to eat. Sir W. J. Hooker considers this sort as 

 synonymous with C. borealis Michx., in which he may probably be correct. We have, however, 

 kept them distinct ; not only because the whole genus appears in a state of confusion, but because, 

 though C. pennsylvanica is said to have been introduced in 1773, we have never seen the plant in 

 a healthy state, and, consequently, feel unable to give any decided opinion respecting it. 



» 18. C. japo'nica Lois. The Japan Cherry Tree. 



Identification. Lois, in N. Du Ham., 5. p. 83. ; Don's Mill,, 2. p. 514. 



Synonymes. Prunus japonica Thunb. Fl. Jap., p. 201., and Lindl. in Bot. Beg., t. 1801. ; P. sinensis 

 ' Pers. Ench. , 2. p. 36. 

 Engravings. Bot. Reg., t. 1801. ; and our figs. 413, 414. 



3 b 2 



