THE MYBOBALAN PLUM 209 



is still much employed for this purpose in the South. 

 A study* of this new type of plum at once revealed some 

 striking botanical features, and it was found that the 

 De Caradeuc, an older plum, is very closely related to 

 it ; and the Hattie is probably to be referred to the 

 same group. This class differs from any of the fore- 

 going in habit of tree, very early flowering, elliptic- 

 ovate, rather small and finely serrate dull leaves, gland- 

 less leaf -stalks, and soft, spherical, very juicy plums 

 of a "sugar and water" character, and broad, ovate 

 stones, which are scarcely pointed and are prominently 

 furrowed on the front edge. The botanical position of 

 these plums has been a subject of speculation, to which 

 1 have added my full share of confusion by referring 

 them to Prunus umbellata of the South. I was soon 

 convinced, however, that the De Caradeuc is a myro- 

 balan plum, and that the Marianna is either the same 

 species or a hybrid between it and some American 

 plum, possibly the Wild Goose. This seemed to be a 

 startling conclusion at the time that it was first ex- 

 pressed, particularly as the Marianna had come to be so 

 extensively used as a stock to replace the myrobalan, 

 which appears to be growing in disfavor. Before 

 entering into detail containing the origin of these 

 plums, it will be useful to our inquiry to clear up some 

 of the history of the myrobalan plum itself. 



The myrobalan plum is a foreigner. The word 

 myrobalan (or myrobolan), as a noun, is used to desig- 

 nate various small tropical fruits which are used in the 

 arts, chiefly for tanning purposes. It is now com- 

 monly applied to the fruits of the species of Terminalia, 

 of the family CombretaceeB, which are imported from 



*In Bull. 38, Cornell Exp. Sta. 1892, 



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