Prunus.cerasus.1.jpg	Prunus.cerasus.2.jpg	Prunus.cerasus.3.jpg
Prunus.cerasus.4.jpg	Prunus.cerasus.5.jpg Photo (c) Henriette Kress, http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed	Prunus.cerasus.6.jpg Photo (c) Henriette Kress, http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed

Vergil's cerasus is the sour cherry, still beloved in Italy, which puts out suckers, not the sweet cherry (Prunus avium) which does not. Both species have been domesticated, but Pliny 15.102 says that the sweet cherry was first introduced to Rome by Lucullus (who else?) from Pontus after his victory over Mithradates and within 120 years has made it even to Britain.

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