C E R 
The Species are, 
1. Cerastium {Repens) foliis lancolatis, pedunculis ra- 
mofis, capfuiis fubrotundis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 439. 
Cerajlium with fpear-foaped leaves , branching foot-ftalks , 
md roundijh capfules. Myofotis incana repens. Tourn. 
Inft. R. H. 245. Hoary creeping Moufe-eaiy by fome 
called Sea Pink. 
2. Cerastium ( Pornentofum ) foliis oblongis, tomentofis, 
pedunculis ramofis, capfuiis globofis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 
440. Cerajlium with oblong woolly leaves , branching foot- 
ftalks , and globular capfules. Myofotis 7 tomentofa, li- 
nariae folio anguftiore, Tourn. Inft. R. H. 245. 
Woolly Moufe-ear with a narrow Load-flax leaf. 
$. Cer.astium ( Dichotomum ) foliis lanceolatis, caule 
dichotomo ramoftffimo, capfuiis ereCtis. Prod. Leyd. 
450. Cerajlhwi with ftp ear -fhaped leaves , a very branching 
ftalk divided in forks , and upright capfules. Myofotis 
Hifpanica fegetum. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 545. Spanifh 
Corn Moufe-ear , or Horned Chickweed. 
4. Cerastium ( Pentandrum ) ftoribus pentandriis, pe- 
talis integris. Lin. Sp. Plant. 438. Cerajlium with 
fiowers having five Jlamina , and entire petals. 
5. Cerastium ( Perfoliatum ) foliis connatis. Hort. Cliff, 
173. Cerajlium whofe leaves are joined. Myofotis Orien- 
talis perfoliata folio lychnidis. Tourn. Cor. 1 8 : Eaftern 
per foliated Moufe-ear with a Lychnis leaf 
The firft fort grows naturally in France and Italy, 
and was formerly cultivated in the Englifh gardens 
under the title of Sea Pink •, one of the ufes made 
of it was to plant it as an edging to keep up the earth 
of borders ; but this was before the Dwarf Box was 
brought to England, fince which all thofe plants 
which were formerly applied for this purpofe have 
been neglefted. This plant was by no means fit for 
this ufe, becaufe its creeping branches would fpread 
into the walks where they put out roots into the 
gravel ; fo that unlefs they are frequently cut off, 
they cannot be kept within compafs. 
This fends out many weak ftalks which trail upon 
the ground, and put out roots at their joints, where- 
by it propagates very faft ; the leaves are placed by 
pairs oppofite, which are about two inches long, and 
little more than half an inch broad, very hoary ; 
thofe next the root are much fmaller than the upper ; 
the flowers come out from the fide of the ftalks upon 
flender foot-ftalks, which branch out into feveral 
fmaller, each fupporting a white flower, compofed of 
five petals, which are fplit at the top. The whole 
flower has the appearance of Chickweed flowers, but 
are larger •, it flowers in May. 
It propagates too faft by its creeping roots and trail- 
ing branches, when it is admitted into gardens, fo 
may be planted in any foil or fituation ; and is very 
proper to be planted between {tones on the fide of 
grottos, where it will fpread, and thrive without 
care. 
The feeds of the fecond fort I received from Iftria, 
where it naturally grows ; this is by Parkinfon titled 
hoary narrow-leaved Pink. The leaves of this fort 
are narrower than thofe of the former, and are much 
whiter ; the ftalks grow more erect, and the feed-vef- 
fels are rounder, in which their chief difference con- 
fifts. This is a trailing plant, and propagates by 
lending out roots at the joints, in the fame manner 
as the former, and is equally hardy. It flowers in 
May and June, and the feeds ripen in Auguft. 
The third fort is annual ; this grows naturally on 
arable land in Spain, from whence the feeds were 
fent to England, where it is allowed a place in bo- 
< panic gardens for the fake of variety, but hath not 
much beauty, this hath branching ftalks, which 
grow about fix inches high, dividing by pairs in forks, 
the flowers coming out in the middle of the divifions, 
which are fhaped like thofe of Chickweed •, the whole 
plant has a clammy moifture, which fticks to the 
fingers of thofe who handle it. This flowers in May, 
and the feeds ripen in July. If the feeds are lown in 
autumn, they will fiicceed better than in the fpring ; 
or if they are permitted to fall, the plants will rife 
without care. 
C E R 
The fourth fort is very like the third in its whole 
appearance, and differs from it, in having but live 
ftamina in the flower, whereas the other hath ten. 
This was difcovered by Mr. Lcefling, a pupil of 
Dr. Linnaeus’s, in Spain, from whence he lent the feeds 
to Upfal, part of which were fent me by the DoCtor. 
The fifth fort was difcovered by Dr. Tournefort in 
the Levant, from whence he fent the feeds to the 
royal garden at Paris, where they fucceeded, and 
have been fince communicated to moft of the curious 
botanic gardens in Europe. This is an annual plant, 
which rifes with an upright ftalk a foot high-, the 
lower leaves of this plant have much refemblance to 
thofe of the Lychnis, which is called Lobel’s Catchfiy, 
fo that when the plants are young, it is not eafy to 
diftinguifh them. The ftalks are garnifhed with 
leaves of the fame fhape, but fmaller, placed by 
pairs, and embrace the ftalks at their bafe. The 
flowers come out at the top of the ftalks, and alfo 
from the wings of the leaves, on the upper part of 
the ftalks, which are white, and fhaped like thofe of 
Chickweed. They appear in May and June, and are 
fucceeded by beaked capfules, containing many 
roundifh feeds. 
If the feeds of this fort are fown in autumn, they wiljt 
more certainly grow than thofe which are fown in the 
fpring ; or if the feeds are permitted to fcatter, the 
plants will come up and live through the winter, and 
will require no other care but to keep them clean 
from weeds. 
There are many other fpecies of this genus than are 
here enumerated, which are weeds in many parts of 
England, fo are never cultivated in gardens, therefore 
not worthv of notice here. 
CERASUS [k jxcrosy Gr. fo called according to Ser- 
vius, from Cerafus, a city of Pontus, which Lucullus 
having deftroyed, he carried the Cherry-tree from 
thence to Rome, and called it Cerafus, after the name 
of the city -, but others will have it that the city took 
its name from the abundance of thofe trees which 
grew there.] The Cherry-tree. 
The botanical characters of this genus, according to 
the fyftem of Linnaeus, are the fame with thofe of 
Prunus } therefore he has joined the Apricot Cherry, 
Laurel, and Bird Cherry together, making them only 
fpecies of the fame genus ; but thofe who admit of 
the fruit, as a character to determine the genus, muft 
feparate the Cherry from the others, becaufe they 
differ greatly in the fhape of their {tones ; but there 
is a more effential difference in nature between them, 
which is, that the Cherry will not grow upon a 
Plumb-ftock, by budding or grafting, nor will the 
Plumb take upon a Cherry-ftock ; and yet we know 
of no trees of the fame genus which do not unite with 
each other, by budding or grafting. 
However, as the joining fo many genera into one, 
would occafion great confufion among gardeners, 
who cultivate thefe trees for fale, therefore if there 
were no other motive than that, it would be a fuf- 
ficient excufe for not clofely following that fyftem in 
this work, which is defigned for the inftruCtion of 
thofe, who have not made botany their ftudy ; fo I 
{hall refer the reader to the article Prunus, under 
which the botanical characters will be inferred, and 
proceed to the fpecies. 
I lhall firft enumerate the forts which are fpecifically 
different from each other, and then mention the va- 
rieties of thefe fruits, which are cultivated in the 
Englifh gardens many of which feem to differ fo ef- 
fentially from each other, that they may be allowed 
as fpecific differences ; but as I have not had an op- 
portunity of trying the various forts from feeds, to 
fee if they alter, fo I chofe to infert them only as va- 
rieties, till further obfervation may better fettle their 
boundaries. 
The Species are, 
1. Cerasus ( Vulgaris ) foliis ovato-lanceolatis, ferratis. 
c phe common , or Kentifh Cherry. Cerafus fativa rotunda 
rubra & acida. C. B. P. 449. Manured Cherry with 
round \ red , acid fruit. 
2. Cerasus 
I 
