A STUDY IN PLANT VARIATION 



263 



Form 



Bark 



Lenticels 



Buds 



Leaf Scar 

 Leaf 



Flower 



9. Prunus maritima var. Intea parva. 

 (Small Yellow) 



A low spreading bush 3 to 6 feet high, forming dense thick- 

 et-like patches; branching irregular and elongate, giving 

 the bush a rather straggUng appearance as to its habit 

 of growth. 



Old stem slender, elongate, rough, cracked into thin dark 

 gray plates which tend to persist, mostly lichen covered. 

 Young branches smooth, dark purpHsh brown, with num- 

 erous light colored lenticels. Youngest twigs smooth, 

 numerous, slender, elongate, puberulous, epidermis silvery 

 gray, persistent, when shed uncovers a light reddish brown 

 bark. 



Numerous, small, conspicuous, irregularly distributed over 

 the branches, rounded and more elevated on the youngest 

 twigs, darker and more flattened on the younger branches. 



Alternate, conical shaped, sharp pointed, brown to gray 

 covered with numerous triangular scales, puberulous along 

 the margins; covered with a silvery gray waxy coating 

 which is shed in early spring. 



Flower hiids lateral, more precocious in early spring, chest- 

 nut brown, rather abundantly scattered along the twigs, 

 frequently compounded with a single leaf bud near the 

 end of the branch. 



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

 bursting after the bush is in full bloom. 

 Crescent shaped, with three small inconspicuous fibro- 

 vascular bundle scars. 



Ovate, alternate, 2.5 cms. wide 5.7 cms. long, petiole 1.0 

 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; very pubescent along the midrib, veins and 

 cross veins on the upper surface, slightly less pubescent 

 along the midrib, veins and cross veins on the lower sur- 

 face; stipules lobed, glandular-serrate, and early deciduous. 

 At maturity thick and firm, dark green above, paler below. 

 Appearing from May 1 to 15, slightly before, or with the 

 leaves, 10 to 15 mm. broad on pubescent pedicels 20 mm. 



