ROSE TJRIBE. 173 



Afghanistan, and is extensively cultivated in the south 

 of Europe. There are two varieties of the tree, one 

 yielding the sweet, the other the bitter Almond. Jor- 

 dan Almonds, which are considered the best, are brought 

 from Malaga ; bitter Almonds are imported from Moga- 

 dore. The varieties of Amygdalus Persica produce the 

 Peach, Nectarine, and Apricot. Prunus domestica, and 

 its varieties, afford Plums of many kinds. P. Lusitdnica 

 is well known by the name of Portugal Laurel. (See 

 "Forest Trees/' vol. i. pp. 237274.) 



1. PRUNUS (Plum and Cherry). Nut of the drupe 

 smooth, or slightly seamed. (Name from the Greek 

 proune, a plum : Cerasus, a name sometimes given to 

 one division of this genus, is derived from Cerasus, a 

 city of Pontus, whence the Eoman general Lucullus 

 introduced a superior kind, B. c. 67.) 



Sub-order II. SPIR^ID^:. Meadow-sweet Group. 



This division contains a limited number of herbaceous 

 or shrubby plants, which bear their seeds in dry, erect 

 capsules, opening at the side, termed follicles. Several 

 species of Spiraea are ornamental shrubs, and are com- 

 monly cultivated in gardens. 



2. SPIRAEA (Meadow-sweet, Dropwort). Calyx 5-cleft ; 

 stamens numerous ; follicles 3 12, bearing few seeds. 

 (Name of Greek origin.) 



Sub-order III. POTENTILLID.E. The Strawberry Group. 



In this division the form of the fruit varies much 

 more than in either of the preceding ; but in every case 

 the calyx is permanent, and contains a number of nut- 

 like seeds, with or without tails, placed on a pulpy, 

 spongy, or dry receptacle ; in the Bramble, each seed is 



