COMMON ALMOND-TREE. 225 



almond-trees, quite hoary with frost, in the evening, will be of a brilliant rose- 

 colour the following morning, and will often retain its beauty for more than a 

 month, the flowers never falling oft' till the trees are covered with verdure. Tht 

 fruit is not so attractive as that of the peach ; because, instead of preserving the 

 same delicious pulp, its pericarp shrivels as it ripens, and becomes a horny kind 

 of husk, which opens of its own accord, at the end of maturity. The kernel of 

 some varieties of the almond is not defended by so thick a shell as that of liio 

 peach and nectarine, for it is often so tender that the nuts break, when shaken 

 together. The chief distinction between these fruits is, that the almond has a 

 stone, covered with a coriaceous, dry, hairy covering, while that of the peach 

 and nectarine is developed in a rich, juicy pulp, surrounded by a smooth or 

 downy skin. 



Varieties. In a wild state, the common almond is sometimes found with bitter 

 kernels, and at other times sweet; in a similar manner as the (jlramniont onk. 

 (Q,uercus hispanica,) which, in Spain, generally bears sweet, edible acorns, hut 

 sometimes produces only such as are bitter. For this reason we describe the 

 bitter and sweet almond under one head, and consider them only as varieties of 

 the same species, which are as follows : 



1. A. c. AMARA, Dc Candolle. Bitter-kerneled Common Almond-tree ; Amnjulicr 

 am,er, of the French; and Gemclner Mandelbnftm. of the Clermans. The tlowers 

 of this variety are large. Petals pale pink, with a tinge of rose-colour at the 

 base. Styles nearly as long as the stamens, and tomentose in the lower part. 

 Seeds bitter. There are two forms of the bitter almond; one with a hard shell, 

 and the other with a brittle one. The tree is cultivated in the south of Europi^ 

 for its fruit, which is preferred, for some purposes in medicine and domestic econ- 

 omy, to that of the sweet almond, particularly for giving a flavour, and for stocks 

 for grafting the other varieties upon, as well as the peach, apricot, and even the 

 plum. 



2. A. c. DULcis, De Candolle. Sioeet-kerneled Common Almond-tree ; Aman- 

 dier a petits frnits, Amande douce, of the French ; and Siisser Mandelbmim, of 

 the Germans. The leaves of this variety are of a grayish-green. The flowers 

 put forth before the leaves; styles much longer than the stamens; fruit ovate- 

 compressed, acuminate ; shell hard; kernel sweet-flavoured. It is cultivated in 

 the south of Europe, being generally propagated by grafting standard high on the 

 bitter almond, or on any strong-growing seedling almonds, in order to ensure 

 the sweetness of its fruit. 



3. A. c. MACROCARPA, Dc Candollc. Large-fruited Common Almond-tree; 

 Amandier a gros frnits. Amandier des dames, of the French. The leaves of 

 this variety are broad, acuminate, and slightly gray. The peduncles short, and 

 turgid; flowers of a very pale rose-colour, large, and put forth before the leaves: 

 petals broadly obcordate, waved; fruit large, umbilicate at the base, acuminate 

 at the tip; shell hard, and kernel always sweet. There are two sub-varieties, 

 one with the fruit rather smaller, commonly called, in France, ainandier sultane ; 

 and the other, with fruit still smaller, called there aniandirr])istarhc. ^Y\\o kernels 

 of both of these are considered remarkably delicate, and are preferred lor the 

 table. The tree of this variety is large and vigorous, of rapid growth, somewhat 

 fastigiate, and is propagated by grafting on the common species, or on any free- 

 growing variety of plum. From the magnitude and beauty of its flowers, which 

 are produced earlier than those of any other kind, it is preferred to all others for 

 the purposes of ornament. 



4. A. c. PERsicciiDES, De Candolle. Pearh-likc-lcared Cn?nmon Almond-tree ; 

 Amandier-pecher, of the French. The leaves of this variety greatly resi^nible 

 those of the peach-tree. Fruit ovate, obtuse, with a sliiihtly succulent husk: 

 shell of a dark, yellowish colour : and the kernel swein-llavonr;-.!. Du Ilamel 



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