12 . Bulletin 62. 



usually come as Botau or Botankio, Hattankio or Suniomo (gen- 

 erally written Smomo) ; but these names refer to classes or groups 

 of varieties, and the attempt in this countrj^ to apply them defi- 

 nitely has resulted in confusion. It maj^ also be said that the 

 Satsuma or Blood class appears to comprise several varieties. The 

 Sumomo class is characterized by small globular fruit, with a firm 

 sweet flesh, ripening very early. The Botaus or Botankios are 

 larger and later round plums, while the Hattans or Hattankios 

 are conical. The terms are applied loosely even in Japan, and it 

 does not seem to be worth while to endeavor to retain them here, 

 particularly as there appear to be all manner of gradations be- 

 tween the types of the different groups. There has been some 

 misconception of the application of these terms and it is often 

 said that they refer to color rather than to shape. Upon this 

 point. Professor Georgeson explains as follows :* 



' ' Quite a number of the many other varieties [than the Sumo- 

 mos] springing from this species are designated by two general 

 names, a fact which is very confusing to a stranger when he begins 

 to study them. These names are botankio and hattankio, or bo- 

 dankio and hadankio, for they are variously pronounced as regards 

 the sound of d and /. The.se two names are common and are 

 even occasionally heard in this country ; but it is a mistake to 

 suppose that they apply to two and only two varieties. They are 

 names of two ill-defined classes of plums, and are applied rather 

 loosely to several varieties which differ in color and size and some- 

 what also in shape. The only di.stinction between the two classes 

 that I have been able to establish is based on the shape. The 

 round plums are designated by the term botankio, while those of 

 an oval or pointed shape are called hattankio. A mistake often 

 made b}^ foreigners, and by some natives also, is to suppose that 

 the distinction is based on color, though it is a fact that most of 

 the botankios are red. The name hattankio is also sometimes 

 given to the almond, while botan is the name of the paeony, and 

 ha-botan means cabbage, and one of the many meanings of kio, 

 or kiyo, is large, or great. If these objects had anything to do 

 with the naming of the plums it seems probable that botan refer- 

 red to the rounded shape and not to the color, since their peonies 



* Amer. Gard. xii. 74. 



