PRUNUS 253 



P. SIBIRICA, Linnaus. SIBERIAN APRICOT. 



(Armeniaca sibirica, Persoon.*) 



A deciduous bush or small tree ; leaves ovate, the apex long drawn-out ; 

 2 to 3^ ins. long, half as wide, reddish at first, then bright green and smooth 

 above," with axil tufts of down beneath ; stalk ^ to I in. long. Flowers mostly 

 solitary, white or pink. Fruits scarcely stalked, about I in. long, yellow 

 except on the sunny side, covered with a velvety skin ; the flesh scanty, dry, 

 harsh and scarcely edible ; kernel of nut with an almond-like, bitter taste. 



Native of the mountains of S. Siberia, where, according to Pallas the 

 Russian botanist, some mountain-sides are covered with its pink blossoms in 

 'May, when the northern sides are purple with Rhododendron dauricum. 

 Although an old tree in gardens (it was cultivated at Kew one hundred years 

 ago), and still offered for sale by continental dealers, it is scarcely known in 

 England nowadays. So far as I have seen, it has very little to recommend it 

 for gardens, being of about the same value as the wild apricot, to which it is 

 very closely allied. Its leaves have usually much more elongated points. 



P. SiMONI, Carriere. APRICOT PLUM. 



A small deciduous tree of slender, pyramidal habit, the branches erect, 

 young shoots smooth. Leaves oval-lanceolate, finely toothed, 3 to 4 ins. long, 

 i to ij ins. wide ; resembling those of the peach ; stalk short, glanded. 

 Flowers white, solitary or in pairs, up to I in. across, opening in March and 

 April ; petals obovate. Fruit 2 ins. wide, i^ ins. deep, tomato-shaped, very 

 shortly stalked, uniform brick-red, smooth like a nectarine, the flesh apricot- 

 yellow and pleasantly fragrant, aromatic, and very palatable. 



There seems to be some doubt as to the origin of this tree, and although 

 it is believed to be a native of north China, its wild habitat is unknown. It 

 is cultivated about Pekin, and was introduced originally to the Jardin des 

 Plantes at Paris in 1867 by M. Eugene Simon, after whom it is named, and 

 was put in commerce by Messrs Thibaut & Keteleer of Sceaux, near Paris, 

 in 1872. It has borne fruits in the gardens of Aldenham House, Elstree, but 

 this happens rarely, owing to flowers being so liable to damage by frost. 

 Although called " Apricot JJ plum, its affinities are doubtful. Some authors 

 regard it^as a plum, but it appears rather to be intermediate between that and 

 the nectarine. It is a useful fruit tree in California, and has been hybridised 

 with P. triflora the Japanese plum. Very distinct in its almost fastigiate 

 habit. 



P. SPINOSA, Linnceus. SLOE, BLACKTHORN. 



A deciduous, suckering shrub, 10 or 15 ft. high, or in gardens a small tree ; 

 bark of young shoots downy, many short branches terminated by a spine. 

 Leaves varying from obovate to oval and ovate, f to if ins. long, \ to f in. 

 wide ; sharp-toothed, downy beneath on the midrib and veins, becoming 

 sometimes quite glabrous with age. Flowers produced in March or early 

 April usually on the naked wood, singly, sometimes in pairs, from the previous 

 year's buds, each \ to f in. across, pure white, and borne on a smooth stalk 

 in. long. Fruit round, \ in. in diameter, at first blue, then shining black, 

 very harsh to the taste. 



Var. FLORE PLENO. Flowers not so wide as the single-flowered type, but 

 pure white and very double. A very delightful spring-flowering shrub. 



Var. PURPUREA. Leaves a beautiful red when young, becoming purple, 

 flowers pink, sent out by Barbier & Co., Orleans, in 1903. 



