A STUDY IN PLANT VARIATION 



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colored lenticels, and few spine like lateral branches. 

 Youngest twigs smooth, numerous, elongate and rather 

 stout, puberulous, epidermis silvery gray and when shed 

 uncovers a light reddish brown bark. 

 Lenticels Numerous, small, inconspicuous, irregularly distributed 

 over the branches, rounded and more elevated on the 

 youngest twigs, darker and more flattened on the younger 

 branches. 

 Buds Alternate, conical shaped, sharp pointed, brown or gray, 



covered with numerous triangular scales, puberulous along 

 the margins; covered with a silvery gray waxy coating 

 which is shed in early spring. 



Flower buds lateral, more precocious in early spring, 

 chestnut brown, rather abundantly scattered along the 

 branches, frequently compounded with, a single leaf bud 

 near the ends of the twigs. 



Leaf Buds smaller, more pointed, dark gray and terminal, 

 bursting after the bush is in full bloom. 

 Leaf Scar Crescent shaped, with three small inconspicuous fibro- 



vascular bundle scars. 



Leaf Ovate, alternate, 3.2 cms. wide and 6.8 cms. long, petiole 



LI cms. long and finely pubescent; acute, finely and sharply 



serrate with small dark brown glandular tipped teeth; 



rounded and biglandular at the base with two dark brown 



stalked glands; pubescent along the midrib on the upper 



surface and along the midrib and in the axils of the primary 



veins on the lower surface; stipules lobed, glandular-serrate, 



and early deciduous. At maturity thick and firm, dark 



green above, paler below. 



Flower Appearing May 1 to 15, slightly before or with the leaves, 



15 to 20 mm. broad on pubescent pedicles 10 mm. m 



length, usually in 3 or 4 flowered umbels, sepals ovate, 



rounded at the apex, green, pubescent; calyx tube cam- 



panulate 2 mm. deep, glandular on the inner surface, 



pubescent on the outer; petals white, ovate, rounded at 



the apex, contracted at the base into short claws; stamens 



30, from 8 to 12 mm. long, glabrous inserted on the calyx 



tube; style 15 mm. long, glabrous with truncate stigma 



carpels simple, ellipsoid, glabrous. 



