BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA, 249 
dalaceze. A native of western Asia, and culti- 
vated in southern Europe, and numbers as many 
as a hundred varieties. The tree attains the 
height and size of our cherry and pear trees, 
adorned with ovate, lanceolate leaves, but not 
shining and glossy as the leaves of the cherry. 
The flowers are white and not unlike the blos- 
soms of the cherry, with numerous stamens and 
pistils. Fruit a drupe ovoidal in form, of a 
handsome purple color externally the pulp is 
succulent and luscious when ripe, and does not 
adhere to the stone (putatum). Seed smalland 
almond-like. Prunes contain sugar, malates, 
pectin and acid. The seeds contain a fired ot, 
similar to that of the sweet almond. Prunes are 
nutritive and laxative, and form one of the ingre- 
dients of the confection of sennz. As found in 
commerce, they are either packed like figs, 
dried or canned. The fruit that is offered in this 
market isfrom the south of France. There are 
quite a variety of prunes or plums grown in the 
United States, and many of the finest come from 
California. The word prunes seems to be of 
Latin origin, and means plum. Prunes are 
dried plums preserved with sugar. 
Phytolacca Bacca, Pokeberry, fruit of the 
Phytolacca Decandria.—Natural order Phyto- 
laccaceze. Native of North America and natu- 
talized in Europe ; annual as to the stem and 
leaves, but perennial as to the root, which has 
been fully described under the head of roots. 
Phytolacca Decandria, with its smooth rose- 
colored stem and its large leaves, forms quite 
an imposing plant in the vegetable kingdom. 
The flowers, with their five white petals, are 
soon succeeded by a cluster of dark-purple ber- 
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