KOSACEJE 



321 



beneath, rather blunt-toothed: flower-clusters short, forking, the pedicels 



strong and long: fruit large and firm, dark colored, with sunken akenes, 



Chile. 



3, PKfrNUS. PEACH. PLUM. CHERRY. 



Trees and shrubs, mostly flowering in early 



spring: sepals, petals and stamens borne on the rim 



of a saucer-shaped torus, the calyx with 5 green 



spreading lobes and the petals 5 and obovate: pis- 476> Prmms Persica. 



til 1, sitting in the bottom of the flower, the ovary ripen- 

 ing into a drupe: leaves alternate. 



a. Peach and apricot: flowers solitary from lateral win- 

 ter buds, usually appearing before the leaves. 

 P. Persica, Sieb. & ' Zucc. Peach. Fig. 476. Small 

 tree, with oblong-lanceolate pointed serrate leaves and sol- 

 itary fuzzy fruits on last year's wood. China. The nec- 

 tarine is a smooth-fruited form. 



P. Armeniaca, Linn. Apricot. Fig. 477. Leaves ovate 

 to round-ovate, serrate: fruits solitary, on last year's shoots or on spurs, 

 smooth or nearly so. China. 



aa. Plums: flowers in umbel-like clusters: fruit large and smooth, usually 

 with a distinct suture (or "crease"} on one side and covered with a 

 "bloom," the stalk short. 



P. domestica, Linn. Common plum. Figs. 194, 262. Small tree, usually 

 with young shoots downy : leaves thick and relatively large, dull dark green, 

 ovate, oval or obovate, very rugose or veiny, somewhat pubescent beneath, 

 coarsely and unevenly serrate: flowers large: fruits various, usually thick- 

 meated and with heavy "bloom." Europe, Asia. 



P. Americana, Marsh. Wild plum of the North. Fig. 478. Twiggy 

 small tree, often thorny, the young shoots usually not downy: leaves obo- 



477. Primus 

 Armeniaca. 



Pruiius Americana. 479. Prunus angustifolia. 



vate, dull green, abruptly pointed, coarsely toothed or jagged, not pubescent 

 beneath : fruit small, red or yellow, tough-skinned and glaucous, the pit 

 large and flattened. Common in thickets : improved forms are in cultivation. 



U 



