62 AMYGDALE^. [part i. 



which is eatable, and a furrowed nut or stone, 

 inclosing the seed or kernel, which is '^Tapped up 

 like that of the almond, in a thick loose skin. 



The Nectarine (P. Icevis) only differs from 

 the peach in the epicarp, or outer covering of 

 the pulpy part, being smooth instead of downy. 

 Of both fruits there are two kinds, one called 

 free-stone, from their parting freely with the 

 stone ; and the other cling-stone, from the stone 

 clinging to the fibres of the pulp. 



The Apricot (Armeniaca vulgaris) agrees with 

 the preceding genus in its flowers ; but it 

 differs in its fruit, its stone being sharp at one 

 end and blunt at the other, with a furrow on 

 each side, but the rest of the surface smooth. 

 Thus my readers will perceive that the Peach 

 and the Apricot, though so different from each 

 other as to be recognised at a glance, are yet 

 botanically so very closely allied, as to be dis- 

 tinguished only by the stone. The leaves indeed 

 differ in form, but in other respects they are 

 exactly the same. 



The Sloe (Prunus spinosa) is supposed by 

 some botanists to be the origin of our cultivated 

 plum, though others make it a separate species 

 under the name of Prunus domestica. The 

 flowers in both are solitary (see Jig. 25), and 

 consist of a five-toothed calyx (a) which is united 

 at the base, and in the lining of which the 



