2824 



PRUNUS 



PRUNUS 



KEY TO THE GROUPS. 



A. Lvs. convolute in the bud (i. e., rolled up, showing 

 well as the Ivs. begin to emerge from the bud) : 

 ovary usually furrowed lengthwise. There are 

 exceptions in some of the American native 

 plums (Nos. 14, 15, 19 and others) in which 

 the Ivs. are conduplicate in vernation; also No. 

 10: these species and their allies are interme- 

 diate between the true plums and the cherries. 



I. PHUNOPHORA, PLUMS, PRUNES, AND 



APRICOTS, Nos. 1-26. 

 AA. Lvs. folded or conduplicate (trough-shaped, folded 



lengthwise along the midrib) in the bud. 

 B. Fr. normally soft-hairy (except in 83 var.); 

 stone or pit often furrowed and pitted: fl.-cup 

 short and wide-spreading. 



II. AMYGDALUS, ALMONDS, AND PEACHES, 



Nos. 27-34. 

 BB. Fr. very juicy, glabrous or only very slightly 



hairy; stone smooth or roughish. 

 c. Fls. in fascicles or cymes. 



III. CERASUS, COMMON or FASCICLED 



CHERRIES, Nos. 35-69. 

 cc. Fls. in racemes. 



IV. PADUS, RACEMOSE CHERRIES, 



Nos. 70-82. 



Subgenus I. PRUNOPHORA. Apricots and Plums. 



Fr. sulcate, glabrous and usually glaucous (except 

 in the apricots), the stone compressed and usually 

 longer than broad and smooth or nearly so : fls. solitary 

 or in umbel-like cymes, mostly appearing before the 

 Ivs. or with them : Ivs. mostly convolute (but often con- 

 duplicate) in vernation, generally ovate or lance-ovate. 



A. Apricots the fls. solitary or in 2's, before the Ivs. 

 and the fr. velvety (at least until ripe) : stone usu- 

 ally sulcate on the margin: peduncle separating 

 from the mature fr. See Apricot. 

 1. Armeniaca, Linn. (Armeniaca vulgaris, Lam.). 

 COMMON APRICOT. Figs. 279-284, Vol. I. Small round- 

 topped tree with reddish bark much like that of the 

 peach tree: Ivs. ovate to round-ovate, sometimes 

 slightly cordate at the base, abruptly short-pointed, 

 glabrous (at least above), closely serrate, the stalks 



3214. Primus Mume (XJi). No. 2. 



stout and gland-bearing: fls. pinkish, solitary and ses- 

 sile or very nearly so, appearing from lateral buds of 

 last year's growth (sometimes on short year-old spurs) 

 before the Ivs.: fr. variable, nearly smooth when ripe, 

 short-stalked like a peach, usually somewhat flattened, 

 mostly yellow and overlaid more or less with red, the 

 stone flat and smooth, ridged or sulcate on one edge. 

 Probably Siberia (Dahuria, Manchuria) to China as a 

 native plant. It early reached Eu., where it was once 

 supposed to be native of Armenia, whence the name 

 Armeniaca. The Russian apricot is a hardy race of this 

 species. Var. pendula, Dipp., has hanging or pendulous 



twigs. Var. variegata, Hort., has white-variegated 

 foliage. P. Armeniaca is apparently widespread in 

 farther Asia and it is variable. By some authors the 

 main forms are separated as species but the differences 

 appear to be too unimportant or inconstant for clear 

 definition and they are here retained as varieties. 



Var. sibirica, Koch (P. sibirica, Linn. Armeniaca 

 sibirica, Pers.). SIBERIAN APRICOT. Bush or small tree, 

 10 or 12 ft. high: Ivs. small and glabrous, or sometimes 

 sparingly bearded beneath, ovate to rounded, long- 

 pointed, unequally crenate-serrate: fls. white or pink, 

 appearing early in the season and usually in great pro- 

 fusion, subsessile, the calyx minutely puberulent: fr. 

 globular, rarely more than J^m- diam., yellow with 

 a reddish cheek, scarcely fleshy, practically inedible, 

 finally splitting; stone smooth, very sharp-edged. Mon- 

 golia, Dahuria. L.B.C. 17:1627. Sometimes planted as 

 an ornamental bush. 



Var. mandshurica, Maxim. (P. mandschitrica, 

 Koehne). Lvs. rounded, subcordate or cuneate at 

 base, at apex long-cuspidate and acute, margin strongly 

 double-toothed, the teeth sharp and twice longer than 

 wide: peduncle long (about % in.): fr. nearly globular, 

 scarcely 1 in. long, yellow, red-spotted, succulent and 

 sweet; stone small and smooth, the margin obtuse, the 

 seed sweet. Manchuria. Distinguished by the narrow 

 sharp teeth and double serration of the Ivs.; kept as a 

 distinct species by some authors. 



Var. Ansft, Maxim. (P. Ansu, Komar.). Lvs. broad- 

 elliptic, at base short-cuneate, at apex acuminate, 

 very glabrous, the margins crenate-serrate: peduncles 

 hispid: fls. twin: fr. subglobose, deeply umbilicate or 

 sulcate, red, tomentose, the flesh grayish brown and 

 sweet and free from the minutely reticulated stone 

 which has one very sharp edge. Japan; cult. Retained 

 as a separate species by some, being marked by the 

 cuneate base of the If. 



2. Mume, Sieb. & Zucc. (Armeniaca Mume, Sieb.). 

 JAPANESE APRICOT. Fig. 3214; also Fig. 279, Vol. I. 

 Tree of the dimensions of the common apricot, but the 

 bark greenish or gray and the foliage duller in color: 

 branchlets green: Ivs. relatively small, narrow-ovate to 

 nearly round-ovate, long-pointed, finely and sharply ser- 

 rate, more or less scabrous, lighter-colored beneath, the 

 petioles mostly gland-bearing: fls. sessile or nearly so, 

 fragrant: fr. mostly smaller than that of P. Armeniaca, 

 yellow or greenish, the dry flesh adhering to the pitted 

 stone. Japan, where it is much grown for its fls. Gn. 

 50:164. R.H. 1885:564. G.C. III. 29:183. Planted 

 to some extent in the S., particularly in the form known 

 as Bungo or Bongoume apricot or plum, but of minor 

 value. When top-worked on plum, it withstands the 

 winters of Cent. N. Y., but does not bear. The apricot 

 cult, as Chinese or Shense is also of this species. There 

 are many double-fld. forms in Japan, where it is much 



Erized for decoration. Var. Goethartiana, Koehne. 

 vs. as in P. Mume, rather large: calyx-tube and lobes 

 pubescent. Japan. Var. albo-plena, Hort., fls. double, 

 rose in bud then white. Gt. 52:15136. Other 

 Latin-named varieties are recorded, as forms laciniata, 

 Maxim., var. microcdrpa, var. viridicalyx, and var. 

 cryptopetala, Makino. 



3. brigantiaca, Vill. (Armeniaca brigantlaca, Pers. 

 P. Armeniaca subsp. brigantiaca, Dipp.). ALPINE PLUM. 

 Shrub or small thornless tree, with mostly smaller Ivs. 

 and smaller smooth subacid fr. the size of a small 

 green-gage plum: Ivs. broad-oval or ovate, the blade 

 2-3 in. long, abruptly short-pointed, very sharp-serrate, 

 above glabrous or essentially so, beneath lighter- 

 colored and more or less hairy on rib and nerves, the 

 petiole gland-bearing and usually less than 1 in. long: 

 fls. white, about %m. across. French Alps. 



4. dasycarpa, Ehrh. (P. Armeniaca var. dasycdrpa, 

 Koch). PURPLE or BLACK APRICOT. Small tree, of 



