234 PRUNUS 



curious growth, which is from i to 2 ins. long and curled like a horn. It is 

 analogous to the many galls that occur on our own trees notably oaks. 



In the Botanic Garden at Trinity College, Dublin, there is a very interesting 

 downy form of P. cornuta or it may be P. NEPAULENSIS, Stetidel. This tree, 

 now over 30 ft. high, was raised from Himalayan seed in 1881. The late 

 Mr F. W. Burbidge described the young foliage to me as looking as if made 

 of copper or bronze. The leaf-stalks are without glands, and, like the main 

 and secondary flower-stalks, thickly covered with close down. Flowers very 

 fragrant, and densely packed on the raceme. The glandless leaf-stalk seems 

 to point to this tree being P. nepaulensis rather than cornuta, but the latter 

 is very variable in a wild state. 



P. CUTHBERTII, Small. 

 (Padus Cuthbertii, Small.'} 



A deciduous tree up to 20 ft. high, with a trunk sometimes 6 ins. in 

 diameter in a wild state, but shrubby in cultivation here ; young shoots downy. 

 Leaves almost smooth except for greyish hairs along the midrib beneath, 

 obovate or oval, i^ to 3^ ins. long, more than half as wide ; usually rounded 

 or even notched at the apex, tapering at the base to a downy stalk J in. long ; 

 margins very shallowly toothed, lower teeth glandular. Flowers very small, 

 white, produced on leafy racemes 2 to 3 ins. long, flower-stalks downy. Fruit 

 red, roundish, |- in. in diameter. 



Native of Central Georgia, U.S.A., where it inhabits woods. It was 

 introduced to this country in 1901, and, although slow-growing, has proved 

 hardy so far. Allied to P. serotina, it differs very markedly in its round-ended 

 leaves and downy shoots and flower-stalks. It is never likely, I think, to 

 become so handsome a tree. Its flowers, which come in June, are not showy, 

 but its foliage is handsome and distinct among bird cherries, and falls late. 



P. DASYCARPA, Ehrhart. BLACK APRICOT. 

 (Armeniaca dasycarpa, Persoon.*) 



A deciduous tree, 12 to 20 ft. high, with purplish, smooth twigs. Leaves 

 oval to ovate, with a rather abrupt tapering point, finely toothed, \\ to 2^ ins. 

 long, two-thirds as wide, downy beneath on the midrib and main veins ; 

 leaf-stalk f to I in. long, glanded. Flower f in. across, pure white, produced 

 on the naked wood in March, each on a downy stalk. Fruit round, i^ ins. 

 across, black, with purple bloom, minutely downy. 



The origin of this tree is not known, but it may be a hybrid between the 

 plum and apricot. It bears fruit only sparsely in this country, but is offered 

 in German catalogues of fruit trees as " plum-apricot." The fruit is described 

 as ripening in August, purple-black, covered with fine down, the flesh red, 

 juicy, sweet, and of an apricot flavour. It would probably need wall treat- 

 ment in this country to develop its fruit properly. It is worth cultivation as 

 an early free-flowering tree. 



P. DAVIDIANA, Franchet. DAVID'S PEACH. 



(Persica Davidiana, Carrier e.) 



A deciduous tree, probably 20 to 30 ft. high, with smooth branch lets. 

 Leaves. 3 to 5 ins. long, i to i| ins. wide ; tapering to a long fine point like 

 the almond, finely and sharply toothed, stalk \ to f in. long, with one or two 

 glands. Flowers white, i in. across, produced singly on very short stalks 



