PRUMNOPITYS PRUNUS 225 



layer of flesh. The seed has no resinous odour, and is eaten by the 

 Chileans. Flowers of both sexes appear on the same plant. 



Native of Chile; introduced in 1860 by Pearce, for Messrs Veitch. 

 It is very closely allied to, perhaps scarcely generically distinct from, 

 Podocarpus. It requires a sheltered spot, especially one shielded from 

 north and east winds, and in such a position will be found quite hardy 

 in most gardens. It thrives in either a loamy or peaty soil, enriched with 

 a plentiful mixture of decayed leaves. Increased by cuttings made of 

 late summer wood with a "heel." It has borne fruit in the Fota Gardens, 

 Cork. The name, " Podocarpus andina," originally given to this plant, is 

 often erroneously applied to Podocarpus chilina. 



PRUNUS. ROSACES. 



There is no genus of flowering trees which contributes so much to 

 the beauty of English gardens in March, April, and early May as Prunus. 

 Following the now generally accepted signification of the word, not only 

 the plums (or PRUNUS proper) are dealt with under this heading, but the 

 almonds and peaches (AMYGDALUS), apricots (ARMENIACA), cherries 

 (CERASUS), bird cherries (PADUS), and the cherry laurels (LAUROCERASUS) 

 also. With even this extended interpretation the genus is well distin- 

 guished by its fruit, which is always a one-celled, one-seeded drupe. The 

 leaves are alternate, either deciduous or evergreen ; the flowers white or 

 rose-coloured, rarely yellowish ; petals five, calyx five-lobed, stamens 

 numerous. 



In order to facilitate recognition of the species it will be necessary 

 to denote the characters roughly distinguishing each section. It should 

 be said, however, that some species (perhaps hybrids) are of uncertain 

 position. 



AMYGDALUS. ALMONDS AND PEACHES. 



Leaves conduplicate in bud (i.e. the two halves of the leaves are folded together 

 lengthwise like a sheet of notepaper). Flowers and fruit very shortly stalked ; fruit 

 covered with velvety down (nectarine an exception, see P. Persica) : Amygdalus 

 Davidiana, nana, orientalis, Persica, triloba. 



CERASUS. CHERRIES. 



Leaves conduplicate in bud. Flowers in clusters, racemes, or short corymbs, produced 

 from the previous year's wood ; fruit smooth, usually without bloom : acida, Avium, 

 Besseyi, canescens, Cerasus, emarginata, eminens, fruticosa, grceca, humilis, incana, 

 facquemontii,japonica, Mahaleb, Maximowiczii, microcarpa, microlept<>, pendula, pennsylvanica, 

 prostrata, pseudocerasus, pumila, rufa, Sargentii, serrulata, subhirtella, tomentosa. 



PRUNUS. PLUMS. 



Leaves convolute in bud (i.e. each half of the leaf is rolled inwards). Flowers 

 solitary or in clusters of one to four (sometimes six or seven) ; fruit smooth, rarely 

 downy, but often covered with a blue or purplish bloom. The American species, with 

 the exception of P. suhcordata are connecting links between plums and cherries, having 

 leaves conduplicate in bud, but plum fruits : alleghaniensis, americana, angustifolia, 

 cerasifera, Cocomilia, communis, curdica, divaricaia, hortulana, insititia, maritime, monticola, 

 nigra, orthosepa a. spinosa, subcordata, triflora, Watsoni. (Simoni may be a hybrid between 

 this group and Amygdalus or Armeniaca.) 



