American Heritage Dictionary:
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bird cherry
n.
Any of several cherry trees, especially the Eurasian Prunus padus, having clusters of white flowers and small black fruits.
bird cherry
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Prunus padus
For the subgenus Padus, see Bird cherry (subgenus).
- Not to be confused with Prunus avium, meaning "bird cherry".
| Prunus padus | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Bird cherry flowers | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Subfamily: | Prunoideae |
| Genus: | Prunus |
| Subgenus: | Padus[1] |
| Species: | P. padus |
| Binomial name | |
| Prunus padus L. |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Cerasus padus (L.) Delarbre |
|
Prunus padus, known as Bird Cherry or Hackberry, is a species of cherry, native to northern Europe and northern Asia. It is a deciduous small tree or large shrub, 8–16 m tall, which grows south of the Arctic Circle in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. There are also some trees in Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal and in the Balkans. It is the type species of the subgenus Padus, which have flowers in racemes.
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Contents
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Characteristics
The English name "hackberry"[2] refers to the fruit, which is astringent due to their tannin content.[3]
There are two varieties:
- European Bird Cherry Prunus padus var. padus, Europe and western Asia.
- Asian Bird Cherry Prunus padus var. commutata, eastern Asia.
Ecology
The flowers are hermaphroditic and pollinated by bees and flies. The fruit is readily eaten by birds, which do not taste astringency as unpleasant.
Poison
The glycosides prulaurasin and amygdalin, which can be poisonous to some mammals, are present in some parts of P. padus, including the leaves, stems and fruits.[4]
Uses
The fruit of this tree is seldom used in western Europe, but is commonly eaten farther east.
It was used medicinally during the Middle Ages.[clarification needed]
The bark of the tree, placed at the door, was supposed to ward off plague.[clarification needed]
It is also sold as an ornamental in North America as a May Day tree.[clarification needed]
A taboo on the use of the wood was reported by natives of Advie, in northeast Scotland, being regarded as a "witches tree".[2]
See also
- Taphrina padi - A Pocket Plum gall that occurs on Bird Cherry
References
- ^ Rehder, A. 1940, reprinted 1977. Manual of cultivated trees and shrubs hardy in North America exclusive of the subtropical and warmer temperate regions. Macmillan publishing Co., Inc, New York.
- ^ a b Walter Gregor, "Some Folklore of Trees, Animals, and River-fishing from the N.E. of Scotland" The Folk-Lore Journal. Volume 7, 1889. p. 41.
- ^ "Bird cherry (Prunus padus)". Science & Plants for Schools (U.K.). http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/trees/cherry.htm.
- ^ N.D.Sargison; D.S.Williamson; J.R.Duncan; R.W.McCance (1996). "Prunus Padus (bird cherry) poisoning in cattle". Veterinary Record 138: 188. http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/138/8/188.extract. "…stems, leaves and fruits of P. padus contain the glycosides prulaurasin and amygdalin…"
External links
- Tips to identify bird cherry from btcv
- Prunus padus Sweden Wildflowers
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American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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