﻿Tree. — Flowers in April and May. 



A moderate sized tree, with round branches, and a polished ash- 

 coloured bark, whose cuticle splits horizontally. The leaves are 

 petiolated, egg-shaped, or egg-spear-shaped, pointed and veiny, 

 with glandular serratures ; the upper surface smooth ; the under 

 more or less hairy, especially about the veins. There are usually 

 2 unequal, reddish-coloured glands either at the base of the leaves, 

 or at the top of the footstalks. Stipulas and bracteas pale, with 

 glandular teeth or fringes, deciduous. The flowers are white, on 

 long simple stalks, but few together, in umbels produced by differ- 

 ent buds from the foliage. Calyx at length ref exed. Nut hard, 

 very smooth. There are several varieties of Wild Cherry enu- 

 merated in the English Flora of Sir J. E. Smith, differing princi- 

 pally in the shape and colour of the fruit. In variety a. of that 

 work, the fruit is red, acid, and austere ; in [3. smaller and heart- 

 shaped; in y. small, round, red, and not ripe before September; 

 in S. (P. avium of Sibthorp) rather small, roundish, black, and 

 sweet ; and in variety e. larger, and of a better flavour, but of the 

 same colour. The leaves in every variety are simply folded flat 

 (conduplicate) while young, by which character cherries differ from 

 the Bullace tribe, in which the leaves are rolled lengthways in a 

 spiral manner (convolute). In the Spring, when in full bloom, it 

 is highly ornamental; and Dr. Hunter says, that the French often 

 plant it for avenues to their houses. It is the original stock from 

 which all the cultivated kinds are derived. 



The Gum that exudes from the Wild Cherry-tree is said to be equal to Gum 

 Arabic, though differing in chemical qualities. Hasselquest relates, that more 

 than one hundred men, during a siege, were kept alive for near two months, 

 without any other sustenance than a little of this Gum taken into the mouth 

 sometimes, and suffered gradually to dissolve. It is remarkable that the barks 

 of all the trees which furnish this bland mucilaginous substance are highly 

 astringent ; that of the Acacia itself, (from certain species of which Gum Arabic 

 is obtained,) is used in India for tanning ; and in our own country the Cherry 

 and Plum trees, which also yield Gum, have astringent harks. The wood is 

 hard and tough. It is used by the Turner, and is formed into chairs and hoops, 

 and stained to imitate mahogany. — The leaves of this species, and those of the 

 sloe-, ( Prunus spinosa ,) have been employed as a substitute for tea. 



The Natural Order Amygda'le® is composed of polypetalous dicotyledon- 

 ous Trees or Shrubs. Their leaves are simple, alternate, and usually glandu- 

 lar towards the base. Their Stipulce simple, and mostly glandular ; and their 

 Flowers white or pink. They have a 5-toothed, deciduous Calyx, lined with 

 a disk; the fifth lobe next the axis. The Corolla is composed of 5 petals, which 

 are perigynous (situated on the rim of the calyx). The Stamens, (see fig. 1.) 

 which are from 20 to about 30 in number, arise from the throat of the calyx, and 

 are curved inwards in aestivation. The Anthers are innate, 2-celled, and burst 

 longitudinally. The Ovary (see fig. 2.) is superior, solitary, simple, and 1- 

 celled. The Ovula 2, suspended ; the Styles terminal, with a furrow on one 

 side, and terminating in a kidney-shaped Stigma. The Fruit is a drupe, with 

 the putamen (the inner coat or shell) sometimes separating spontaneously from 

 the sarcocarp (the intermediate substance between the outer skin or epicarp, 

 and the inner coat or shell). The Seeds are mostly solitary, and suspended. 

 The Embryo straight, with the radicle pointing to the hilum ; and the Cotyle- 

 dons thick ; with no Albumen. Prussic Acid is present in the leaves and kernel. 



This order is distinguished from Rosacea and Pomdcea, by its fruit being a 

 drupe (see fig. 4.), and by the presence of Prussic Acid ; from Leguminosa, by 

 the equal petals and stamens, and by the fruit. See Lind. Introd. to Nat. Syst. 

 of Botany. 



