530 
has been confounded with the preceding, but when raised from seed it always retains a difference. It 
rises with a straight upright stem more than twenty feet high; the branches are shorter, and closer 
together than those of the first, and naturally form a regular head. The leaves are shorter and 
broader, and not so rough. The flowers grow in closer shorter spikes, standing more erect. The 
fruit is larger, and red when ripe. It flowers a little later than the first sort, namely in May and 
June; and the fruit ripens in August. 
Mr. Miller says it grows naturally in Armenia, whence he received the seeds: its native place, 
however, is doubtful. It appears from Furber’s catalogue, that it was cultivated here in 1724.* 
Species 3 . Common American Bird-Cherry Tree. (Prunus Canadensis.) 
This rises with a thick stem from ten to thirty feet high, dividing into many branches, which 
have a dark purple bark. Leaves ovate, alternate, on short foot-stalks, of a lucid green, slightly 
serrate, and continuing in verdure as late in the autumn as any of the deciduous trees. The fruit is 
larger than that of the preceding, is black when ripe, and is soon devoured by birds. The wood is 
beautifully veined with black and white, and will polish well; it is therefore frequently used for 
cabinet work; as is also the first sort, particularly in France, where it is called Bois de Sainte Lucie. 
According to Linnaeus, this is the offspring of the common Bird Cherry, but the warts on the 
branches are double the size. There are two pairs of glands at the top of the petiole in front. The 
leaves are less netted underneath and almost smooth. The petals are orbicular, not obovate. The 
fruit is four times as big; not red, as Linnaeus says it is, but, like the common sort, first green, then 
red, and finally black, j 
Parkinson calls it the Virginian Cherry-Bay. It is a native of Virginia and other parts of North 
America, and was cultivated here in 1629? as appears from Parkinson's Paradisus.J ® 
Species 5. Perfumed Cherry-tree. (Prunus Mahaleb.) 
Branches even. Leaves less rigid than in the others, finely serrate, green on both sides, but 
manifestly villose to the touch, and ending in the petiole at the base. Native of North America. § 
This is a low crooked tree. The wood is red, very hard, and sweet-scented. Leaves wide and 
pointed, approaching to those of the wild Pear. Flowers white. Fruit black, yielding a bitter 
purple juice, the stain of which is not easily effaced; the stone is smooth, round, and a little flatted 
on the sides; inclosing a bitter perfumed kernel.|| Birds are very fond of this fruit. A fragrant and 
pleasant distilled water is made from leaves and flowers.^f 
The wood, on account of its agreeable odour, is greatly esteemed by the French for making 
cabinets and other furniture. This and the wood of the Bird Cherry is the true sort. Villars how¬ 
ever calls the Mahaleb by this name. 
Native of Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the South of France, and Piedmont, Crim Tartary and 
every where on Caucasus. Cultivated in 1714 by the Duchess of Beaufort. It flowers in April 
and May. Ray calls it Rock Cherry. 
Gerarde says, that “ the fruit is as hard as a bead of corail, somewhat round and of a shining 
black colour, which the cunning French perfumers do bore through, making thereof bracelets, chains, 
j Du Roi. J Hort. Kew. 
|| Villars. Krocker. 
* Hort. Kew. 
§ Linn. Spec. 
