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pRUNUS DoMEsTIcA. ORD. XXVIII. Pomacee. 52k 
THIS species of Prunus grows much higher than the former; it 
is without spines, and covered with smooth bark of a dark brown 
colour: the leaves are oval, slightly indented at the edges, pointed, 
veined, of a pale green colour, and stand upon very short foot- 
stalks: the stipulz are oval, pointed, membranous, and placed in 
pairs at the base of the peduncles: the flowers are large, and sur- 
round the branches upon separate peduncles: the calyx is divided 
into five narrow concave segments, and beset on the inside with a 
number of glandular hairs:* the corolla consists of five roundish 
white petals:, the filaments are more than twenty, tapering, 
inserted in the calyx, and furnished with reddish anthera: the 
germen is round, and supports a simple style, which is shorter 
than the filaments, and crowned with a globular stigma: the fruit 
is oblong, or egg shaped, consisting of a sweet Hes pulp, covered 
with a dark violet coloured neilicle, and including in the centre 
an almond-shaped nut, or stone. It is a native of Britain, and 
flowers in April and May. 
Among the many varieties of plums° we find considerable diffi- 
culty in referring with sufficient accuracy to that called by the 
London College Prunum gallicum; it is therefore probable that 
some of the synonyma introduced above, are not in this respect so 
correctly applicable as they ought to be. The Syrian Plums 
were much esteemed by the ancients, particularly a species which 
* See Withering, I. c. 
> Du Hamel ( Arbres fruit. T. 2. p. 65. sq.) describes forty-eight varieties: 
and Mayer (Pomona Francon. T. 1. p. 110.) makes them still more numerous. 
The original parent of these varicties is not yet ee * ascertained.—J. 
Bauhin refers it to the Pruna ccrea minora precocia. 
© On this subject Professor Murray says, ** Hisce Pharmacopeia Londinensi 
duce intelligo vulgaria ista oblonga, profunde violacea, ubivis in hortis reperiunda, 
cui varictati non audeo in brevitate descriptionum adscribere nomen Bauhinianum 
vel Tournefortianum, nisi sit Pruna oblonga coerulea C. B. vel. Pr, fructu oblongo 
ceruleo Tournef.” App. Med. vol. iii. p. 230. 
No. 44.—vol1. 4. 6a 
