PRUNUS 229 



pointed, sharply toothed, tapering at the base to a reddish stalk ] to i in. 

 long. Flowers white, in. across, in clusters of two to four ; calyx smooth 

 outside. Fruit bright red and shining, ^ in. across, round or nearly so. 



The native country of this plum, according to Sargent, is still uncertain, 

 but it is either native or widely naturalised in the south-eastern United States. 

 It is the source of several varieties of plums cultivated in the Southern States. 

 Several times introduced to Kew, it never thrives, and it is probably only 

 adapted for the warmest parts of the British Isles, and unless it bears fruits it 

 is scarcely ornamental enough to be worthy of cultivation there. Its close 

 ally, P. Watsoni, is better worth growing. The P. chicasa of Michaux, usually 

 regarded as synonymous with P. angustifolia, is said by Mr Hedrick to be 

 different. 



P. ARMENIACA, Linnceus. APRICOT. 



(Armeniaca vulgaris, Lamarck.") 



A round-headed, deciduous tree, 20 to 30 ft. high, with sturdy, tortuous 

 branches ; branchlets smooth. Leaves broadly ovate to roundish, 2| to 3^ 

 ins. long, \\ to 2 ins. wide ; abruptly pointed, deep lustrous green, smooth 

 or with axif tufts beneath, evenly set with rounded teeth ; stalk up to i in. 

 long. Flowers white or pinkish, I in. across, produced singly on very short 

 stalks from the previous year's wood, often crowded on short spur-like twigs. 

 Fruit round, i| ins. wide in a wild state, larger under cultivation, yellow 

 tinged with red, the nut having a thickened furrowed margin. 



Native of N. China, where it was found genuinely wild by Dr Bretschneider, 

 and raised at Kew from seeds sent by him. It is, of course, best known as a 

 fruit tree on walls, but is quite hardy in the open, where, however, it does not 

 bear fruit satisfactorily. The fruiting apricot is believed to have been 

 cultivated by the Chinese many centuries anterior to the Christian era, 

 gradually spreading westwards to Europe. It existed in English gardens 

 early in the sixteenth century, probably long before. Flowering in March 

 and early April, the apricot has something to recommend it, but it must be 

 regarded as an inferior flowering tree, not in the same class as the almond 

 and peach. The specific name refers to its supposed Armenian origin. 



P. AVIUM, Linnceus. GEAN, MAZZARD. 



(Cerasus sylvestris, London?) 



A deciduous tree up to 60 ft. or more high, with a trunk occasionally 2 ft. 

 and upwards in diameter, the bark shining and peeling horizontally ; young 

 twigs smooth. Leaves ovate to oval with a drawn-out point ; 3 to 5 ins. long, 

 i^ to 2 ins. wide (sometimes considerably larger on vigorous young trees) ; 

 rather coarsely and irregularly toothed, hairy along the veins and midrib 

 beneath ; leaf-stalk I to if ins. long, with reddish glands near the blade. 

 Flowers pure white, about I in. across, produced on stalks from I to if ins. 

 long, in stalkless clusters from the previous year's shoots, and from spur-like 

 branches of earlier date. Fruit round, blackish red, f in. diameter, sweet 

 or bitter but not acid. 



Native of Europe, including Britain, and one of the parents of cultivated 

 fruiting cherries, especially the black ones. In the woodland the gean is 

 very desirable, and in suitable places makes a big tree ; in plantations separated 

 from the house by a valley it might be planted in numbers for its effect in 

 April and early May, but in the garden itself it should give place to the 

 improved varieties. There is a good deal of confusion in botanical works 

 between this species and P. Cerasus and P. acida. But P. Avium differs from 



