570 AMYGDALACEAE 



glabrous, lustrous on both sides, but paler above, undulate, short-petioled, the nerves 

 prominent : corymbs or panicles minutely pubescent : hypanthium campanulate, 3 mm. 

 broad : sepals triangular-ovate or triangular, rather obtuse, shorter than the hypanthium . 

 petals oblong or oblong-obovate, 2.5-3 mm. long, obtuse, whitish green, pubescent within 

 near the base : filaments and ovary glabrous : drupe ovoid to obovoid, 2.5-3.5 cm. long. 



In dry sandy pine lands. Georgia to Florida and Mississippi. GROUND OAK. GOPHER APPLE. 



2. Chrysobalauus Icaco L. An erect shrub 1-10 m. tall. Leaf-blades leathery, 

 broadly obovate, oval or suborbicular, 3-8 cm. long, glabrous, somewhat lustrous, truncate 

 or notched at apex, entire, usually broadly cuneate at the base, short-petioled : panicles 

 axillary, few-flowered : hypanthium turbinate, 4-5 mm. broad : sepals ovate or oblong- 

 ovate, obtuse or abruptly pointed : petals spatulate, 5-6 mm. long, rounded at the apex, 

 white : filaments and ovary villous : drupe globular or oval, 3-4 cm. in diameter, yellow, 

 purple or black. 



In sandy soil, southern peninsular Florida. Also in the West Indies and tropical America. 

 GOPHER PLUM. COCOA PLUM. 



2. AMYGDALUS L. 



Shrubs or trees pervaded with prussic acid. Leaves alternate : blades simple, toothed, 

 conduplicate. Flowers perfect, from scaly buds of the preceding year, appearing before 

 the leaves, pedicelled. Sepals 5. Corolla white or pink. Petals 5, spreading. Stamens 

 20-30 : filaments slender, distinct. Ovary 1-celled, sessile : style simple. Ovules 2, pen- 

 dulous. Drupe subglobose or oval, with a fleshy velvety-pubescent exocarp and ji bony 

 wrinkled and pitted endocarp (stone). Seed solitary. PEACH. 



1. Amygdalus P6rsica L. A tree several m. high, with glabrous almond-scented 

 foliage. Leaves numerous ; blades thinnish, narrowly elliptic or lanceolate or rarely ob- 

 long-obovate, bright green, shining above, sharply serrate, acuminate at both ends or acute 

 at the base ; petioles 0.5-1 cm. long : flowers few or numerous, fragrant : petals pink, 8-20 

 mm. long, rounded : filaments usually colored like the petals : drupe subglobose, 4-10 cm. 

 in diameter, grooved on one side, soft-velvety : stone elliptic or ovoid-elliptic, pointed 

 especially at one end, coarsely wrinkled and pitted. 



In waste places and cultivated grounds, throughout the United States. Spring ; fruit ripening in 

 summer and fall. Originally from western Asia. 



3. PRUNUS L. 



Low shrubs or lofty trees, slightly if at all pervaded with prussic acid, sometimes armed 

 with thorns. Leaves alternate, deciduous : blades thin or leathery, simple, usually toothed. 

 Flowers perfect, white or pink, solitary, in cluster-like corymbs from scaly buds. Sepals 

 5, deciduous, imbricated. Petals 5, imbricated, spreading, inserted in the throat of the 

 hypanthium. Stamens 15-30, inserted with the petals : filaments filiform, distinct. 

 Ovary sessile, 1-celled : style simple, terminal : stigma truncate or peltate. Ovules 2, side 

 by side, pendulous. Drupe with a pulpy exocarp, often glaucous : stone bony, smooth, 

 more or less flattened, indehiscent. Seed solitary. Testa membranous. The plants flower 

 in the spring. 



Drupe velvety. 



Leaf-blades 1-2 cm. long, entire or with glandless teeth : sepals not glandular-toothed. 



1. P. minutiflora. 



Leaf-Wades 2-2.5 cm. long, conspicuously glandular-toothed : sepals glandular- 

 toothed. 2. P. glandulosa. 

 Drupe glabrous. 



Inflorescence corymbose : drupes 4-7 mm. in diameter. 3. P. Pennsylvanica. 



Inflorescence umbel-like : drupes 8-30 mm. in diameter. 

 Leaves conduplicate in vernation. 



Low shrubs : corolla about 1 cm. broad : leaf-blades appressed-serrate : 



drupes mostly less than 10 mm. in diameter. 4. P. cuneata. 



Large trees : corolla 1.5-3 cm. broad : leaf-blades sharply serrate : drupes 



mostly over 10 mm. in diameter. 



Drupe sour : leaves glabrous. 5. P. Cerasus. 



Drupe sweet : leaves pubescent. 6. P. Avium. 



Leaves convolute in vernation. 



A. Drupe purple with a bloom (variously colored in P. tarda), mostly less 



than 15 mm. thick. 



Drupe globose : stone globular : leaves glabrous. 7. P. umbdlata. 



Drupe oblong or oval : stone manifestly elongated : leaves pubescent. 

 Twigs glabrous. 



Stone acute at the base : drupe purple : species of the Gulf States 



east of the Mississippi River. 8. P. mitis. 



Stone rounded at the base : drupe variously colored : species of 



the Gulf States west of the Mississippi River. 9. P. tarda. 



