1243 



PRUNUS* dasycarpa. 

 Purple-fruited Apricot. 



ICOSANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



Nat. ord. Rosace;e. 5) Drupaceee. 

 PRUNUS. — Suprd, vol. 2.fol. 136. 



P. dasycarpa ; foliis ovatis acuminatis obtusis serratis, subrugosis, petiolis 



glandulosis, corollis subhexapetalis. 

 P. dasycarpa. Ehr. beitr. 6. 90. Willd. arb. 243. Sp. pi. 2. 990. 

 P. Armeniaca nigra. Desf. cat. ed. 3. p. 297. 



Armeniaca atropurpurea. Loisel in Duhamel's ed. nov. 5. p. 172. t. 5\. f. 1. 

 Armeniaca dasycarpa. Dec. prodr. 2. 532. 



Arbor mediocris, ramis glabris, fere P. Armeniacse, sed magis virgatis. 

 Folia petiolata, ovalia, v. ovato-acuminata, obtusa, subrugosa, petiolis glandu- 

 losis. Flores fasciculati, breviter pedunculati ; calyce corolldque scepk 

 6-partitis. Yructus pruni domesticce magnitudine, atropurpurei, came fulvo, 

 austero. 



This is the plant commonly known in the Nurseries as 

 the Black Apricot. As a fruit it is of no kind of value ; 

 but as a handsome hardy tree it deserves cultivation. It 

 is treated in all respects as a common Apricot, and flowers 

 about the same period of the year. Its native country is 

 unknown. 



We certainly are not among those who attach much 

 importance to what are called intermediate forms in nature, 

 in determining the limits either of genera or species ; but 

 we do think that it is impossible to maintain the genus 

 Armeniaca, which does not possess a single character, 

 deserving that name, to distinguish it from Prunus, and 



* U^avvr) is the Greek name of the plum : its origin is unknown. Dasy- 

 carpa literally signifies thick-fruited. 



