Prunus.] XXVI KOSACEiE. 129 



finely toothed, usually glabrous, but occasionally, especially the under 

 sides as well as the young shoots, more or less downy. Flowers small, 

 white, nearly sessile, solitary or in pairs, appearing betore the leaves. 

 Fruit small, globular or shortly ovoid, nearly black, with a bluish 

 bloom. P. communis, Huds. 



In hedges, thickets, and open woods, common in Europe and northern 

 Asia. Abundant in Britain. Fl, early spring. The Bullace, P. insititia, 

 Linn., is a variety of a somewhat taller growth, and less thorny, with 

 the leaves rather more downy, and the fruit rather larger and globose, 

 black or yellow, and less acrid. It is more abundant and more marked 

 in south-eastern Europe and central Asia than with us. The Damson 

 and the numerous varieties of Plum of our gardens, although growing 

 into thornless trees, are believed to be varieties of P. spinosa, pro- 

 duced by long cultivation ; they will occasionally sow themselves, and 

 may be found apparently wild in the neighbourhood of gardens and 

 orchards, retaining their arborescent character. Some botanists dis- 

 tinguish these varieties as a species, under the name of P. domestica, 

 Linn. [Other authorities regard P. insititia, with globose pale fruit, as 

 the origin of all the Plums, and P. spinosa, with blue-black ovoid fruit, 

 as that of the Damson.] 



2. P. Cerasus, Linn. (fig. 299). Wild Cherry. — The Cherry, when wild, 

 is often a mere shrub of 6 or 8 feet, throwing out suckers from its creep- 

 ing roots, or more properly rhizomes ; but in cultivation, and often 

 also in a really wild state, it will form a tree of considerable size. 

 Stipules narrow, often toothed and glandular, but very deciduous. 

 Leaves ovate or ovate-lanceolate, toothed, 2 to 4 inches long, usually 

 with 1 or 2 glands at the top of the stalk or on the edge of the blade, 

 near the base ; but they are sometimes wanting on the same specimen. 

 Flowers white, on pedicels from 1 to 2 inches long, in bunches of 2, 3, 

 or more, issuing together from leafless buds, surrounded by brown 

 scales, of which the inner ones often became green and leaf-like at the 

 tips. Fruit globular and smooth, red or black, usually without bloom. 



In woods, thickets, and hedgerows, in central and southern Europe 

 and temperate Asia, extending northward into Scandinavia, but has 

 been in so many places introduced by cultivation, that its precise limits 

 can scarcely be fixed. Generally dispersed over England, Ireland, and 

 southern Scotland, but in many cases not truly indigenous. Fl. spring. 

 There are several more or less permanent varieties in cultivation, which 

 are variously distributed by different botanists into several species, of 

 which the P. Avium, for the tree variety, without suckers, and P. 

 Cerasus, for the shrubby form, are generally adopted ; but none of the 

 characters given appear to be constant in a wild state. [Linnaeus 

 distinguished the two species thus : — 



P. Cerasus. Leaves spreading, crenate-serrate, glabrous, petiole short, 

 corolla cup-shaped, petals firm suberect, fruit acid. — The Cherry. 



P. Avium. Leaves drooping, sharply serrate, pubescent beneath, 

 petiole long, corolla open, petals flaccid, almost obcordate, fruit sweet 

 or bitter. — The Gean.] 



3. P. Padus, Linn. (fig. 300). Birdcherry—A shrub of 6 or 8 feet, 

 or sometimes a small tree, always glabrous. Leaves oval or ovate- 

 lanceolate, finely toothed, and slightly cordate at the base. Flowers 

 white, rather small, in loose, often drooping racemes of 2 or 3 to nearly 



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