AMYGDALACEvE. IV. 



499 



peduncles solitary; leaves ovate, acute, serrated, villous above, 

 tomentose beneath as well as the petioles. Jj . F. Native of 

 Japan. Flowers white. Drupe the size of a pea. 

 Tomentose Plum-tree. Shrub 6 to 8 feet. 



6 P. MARI'TIMA (Wangh. amer. 103. ex Willd. enum. 519.) 

 peduncles twin ; leaves ovate-lanceolate, serrated ; fruit small, 

 round, sweet, dark blue. 1? . H. Native of North America, in 

 sand by the sea-side. Flowers white. Fruit size of a pigeon's 

 egg, dark purple, good to eat. 



Sea-side Plum. Fl. Apr. May. Clt. 1818. Sh. 5 to 8 feet. 



7 P. ACUMINA'TA (Michx. fl. bor. amer. 284.) flowers ? calyx 

 glabrous ; leaves oblong-oval, ending in a long, acute acumen ; 

 drupe ovate, acuminated, on a long peduncle. Tj . H. Native 

 of Virginia. Perhaps the same as /". maritima. 



Acuminated-leswed Plum. Shrub 6 to 1 feet. 



8 P. PUBE'SCENS (Poir. suppl. 4. p. 584. but not of Pursh) 

 flowers usually solitary, almost sessile ; leaves ovate, thickish, 

 and roundish, or ending in a short acumen, hardly pubescent, 

 unequally toothed; petioles pubescent, short; fruit oval, fj . H. 

 Native country unknown. Flowers white. 



Pubescent Plum. Fl. May. Clt. 1818. Shrub 2 to 3 feet. 



9 P. DOME'STICA (Lin. spec. 680.) flowers usually solitary ; 

 leaves ovate-lanceolate, convolute ; branches unarmed. Tj . H. 

 Native of the south of Europe, in elevated places. Smith, engl. 

 bot. 1783. Flowers white. Fruit variable, both in shape and 

 colour. All the varieties of garden plums belong to this species. 

 Theplum is called prune, in French, prugno in Italian, andpjlaun- 

 zen-baum in German. It rises usually to the height of 15 feet, 

 branching into a moderately spreading head. The natural colour 

 of the fruit is generally considered to be black, but the varieties 

 in cultivation, yellow, blue, and green, and of different shapes 

 and flavours. It is a native of or naturalized in Britain, very 

 frequently found in hedges ; but its original country is sup- 

 posed to be Asia Minor ; and according to Pliny it was 

 brought from Syria into Greece, and thence into Italy. 



Use, The best varieties are esteemed a delicious dessert fruit, 

 and the others are used in pies, tarts, conserves, and sweetmeats. 

 A wholesome wine is also occasionally made from them, with 

 or without other fruits or ingredients. Plums, Professor Martin 

 observes, when sufficiently ripe and taken in moderate quantity, 

 are not unwholesome, but in an immature state they are more 

 liable to produce diarrhoea and similar diseases than any other 

 fruit of the class. Considered medicinally, they are emollient, 

 cooling, and laxative, especially the French prunes, which are 

 peculiarly useful in costive habits. The wood of the plum 

 is used in turnery, cabinet work, and in making musical instru- 

 ments. 



Varieties. Tusser enumerates 10, Parkinson 60. In the 

 Luxembourg Catalogue are 68, but in the Horticultural Cata- 

 logue for the present year there are 274, which are here disposed 

 according to the colour and shape of the fruit. 



Var. a, armenioides (Ser. ex D. C. prod. 2. p. 533.) fruit 

 oval or roundish, yellow or greenish yellow ; stone blunt. To 

 this belong the following varieties of plum. 



1 Apricot, abricotee (Duham. arb. fr. 2. p. 93. no. 20. 1. 13.). 

 Wood smooth. Fruit yellow, oval, middle-sized ; flesh adher- 

 ing to the stone. A bad kitchen fruit, ripening in the end of 

 August. 



2 Abricotee hdtlve, Lois, in Duham. ed. nov. 5. p. 195. no. 23. 



3 Bonne deuxfois Van. Wood downy. Fruit small, green- 

 ish-yellow, oblong ; flesh adhering to the stone. An useless fruit, 

 ripening in August and September. 



4 Bryanston-gage. Wood smooth. Fruit roundish, green- 

 ish-yellow, middle-sized ; flesh adhering to the stone. A second- 

 rate dessert fruit, ripening in the beginning of October. 



5 White bullace. Wood downy. Fruit round, yellow, small ; 



flesh adhering to the stone. A kitchen and preserving fruit, 

 ripening in October. An abundant bearer. 



6 Yellow Roman bullace. 



7 Coe's golden drop, Coe's imperial golden. Golden drop, 

 new golden drop, Burry seedling, Fair's golden drop, golden 

 gage. Wood smooth. Fruit oval, large ; flesh adhering to the 

 stone. One of the most valuable plums either for the table 

 or for preserving, and a good bearer. Ripens in the end of 

 September. 



8 White damson, small round damson. Wood downy. Fruit 

 oval, yellow ; flesh adhering to the stone. A second-rate kitchen 

 fruit, ripening about the end of September. 



9 Dennison's Albany. Fruit yellow. 



10 Dennison's late. Fruit oval, yellow, middle-sized. A 

 good preserving fruit, ripening in October. 



1 1 Drap d'Or, mirabelle double (Duham. arb. fr. 2. p. 96.), 

 mirabelle grosse, abricotee lidtive (Lois, in Duham. ed. nov. 5. 

 p. 195. no. 23.). Wood downy. Fruit small, round, yellow; 

 flesh separating from the stone. An excellent dessert fruit, pre- 

 cedes the green-gage in ripening, and resembles it in quality. 



12 Chancellor gage. Wood smooth. Fruit middle-sized, 

 round, yellow. A second-rate dessert fruit. 



13 Gisborn's, Gisborn's early, Paterson's. Wood downy. 

 Fruit oblong, middle-sized, yellow ; flesh separating from the 

 stone. A second-rate kitchen fruit, ripening in the middle of 

 August. A great bearer. 



1 4 Superior green-gage. Wood downy. Fruit oval, yellow, 

 middle-sized ; flesh separating from the stone. A second-rate 

 dessert fruit, ripening in the beginning of September. 



15 Guimaraen. Wood downy. Fruit middle-sized; flesh 

 adhering to the stone. A first-rate preserving fruit, ripening in 

 the beginning of September. 



16 Mirabelle, mirabelle petite, mirabelle jaune. Wood downy. 

 Fruit small, roundish- ovate, yellow ; flesh separating from the 

 stone. A first-rate dessert fruit, and good for preserving. Ripens 

 in the middle of August. 



17 Yellow Orleans. 



18 Peter's large yellow. Wood downy. Fruit middle-sized, 

 oval ; flesh adhering to the stone. A good dessert fruit, ripen- 

 ing in August. Bears considerable resemblance to the green- 

 gage, but is not so good. 



19 Washington, new Washington, Franklin, Bolmar, Bolmar's 

 Washington. Wood downy. Fruit large, roundish-oval, yellow. 

 Tree vigorous, bears well as a standard. A first-rate dessert 

 fruit, ripening in September. 



Var. ft, Claudicina (Pers. ench. 2. p. 35.) fruit roundish, 

 rather depressed, green, and usually spotted with purple, rarely 

 purple ; flesh greenish yellow, more or less sugary ; umbilicus 

 hardly depressed ; putamen or stone ending in a short mucrone. 

 To this variety belong the following sorts of plums. 



1 Green-gage, brugnon green-gage, Reine Claude, abricot 

 vert, vert bonne, Dauphine, Reine Claude blanche, grosse reine, 

 grosse reine Claude (Duham. arbr. fr. 2. p. 89. no. 25. t. 11.), 

 Damas vert, Sucrin vert, Drap d'Or of some. Wood smooth. 

 Fruit middle-sized, round, greenish yellow ; flesh separating 

 from the stone, ripening about the middle of August. Allowed 

 by all to be one of the very best plums both for the dessert and 

 for preserving. 



2 Aston green-gage. 



3 Camper thwart's green-gage, 



4 Derbyshire green-gage. 



5 Gonne's green-gage. 



6 Hoo green-gage. 



7 Islen'orth green-gage, Wilmot's green-gage, Wilmot's new 

 green-gage, Wilmot's late green-gage, 



3 s 2 



