XXVI. ROSA^CEM I PE'RSICA. 



265 



vigorous large tree, of rapid growth, somewhat more fastigiate than 

 the species. 



A. c. 1 persicbides Ser., Dec. Prod. 2. p. 531 Amandier-Pecher, A r . 

 Du Ham. 4. p. 1 14., Noisette Jard. Fruit, p 7. Leaves similar to 

 those of the peach tree. Fruit ovate, obtuse ; its husk slightly suc- 

 culent ; the shell of a yellowish dark colour, and the kernel sweet- 

 flavoured. Du Hamel has stated that its fruits vary upon the same 

 branch, from ovate, obtuse, with the husk rather fleshy, to ovate, 

 compressed, acuminate, and the husk dry. Cultivated in France and 

 Italy for its fruit, but rarely found in British gardens. 

 Other Varieties. The almond, considered as a fruit tree, has given rise to 

 some other varieties, which will be found treated of at length in French works 

 on gardening, in the Nouveau Du Hamel, and the Nouveau Cours d? Agriculture 

 There are several varieties of the almond in cultivation on the Continent 

 for their fruit ; and two or three in this country, partly for the same purpose, 

 but chiefly for their flowers. The common almond, in a wild state, is found 

 sometimes with the kernels bitter, and at other times with them sweet ; in 

 the same manner as the Quercus hispanica, which, in Spain, though it gene- 

 rally bears sweet and edible acorns, yet sometimes produces only such as are 

 bitter. For this reason, in the case of the almond, instead of giving one form 

 as the species, we have followed DeCandolle, and described both the bitter 

 and the sweet almond separately, either of which may be considered as the 

 species, and classed them with the varieties. 



& 4. A. ORIENT A'LIS Ait. The Eastern Almond Tree. 



Identification. Ait. Hort. Kew., ed. 1. I. p. 162., ed. 2. 3. p. 195. : Dec. Prod., 2. p. 530. ; Don's 



Mill., 2. p. 482. 



Synonyme. A. argentea Lam. Diet. 1. p. 103., N. Du Ham. 3. p. 1)5. 

 Engravings. Load. Bot. Cat., t. 1J37. ; and our fig. 426. 



Spec. Char., fyc. Imperfectly evergreen. Branches 

 and leaves clothed with a silvery tomentum ; 

 petiole of the leaf short, the disk lanceolate 

 and entire. Flowers rose-coloured, and rather 

 longer than those of A. nana. Calyx cylin 

 tlrically bell-shaped. Fruit tipped with a point. 

 (Dec. Prod.) A tall shrub or low tree. Le- 

 vant. Height 8ft. to 10ft.; and, according 

 to Bosc, 15ft. to 20ft. Introduced in 1756 

 Flowers rose-coloured; March and April. 



Very striking, from the hoary, or rather silvery, 

 appearance of its leaves ; and it makes a hand- 

 some plant when budded standard high on the 

 common almond or the plum. It flowers much less freely than the common 

 almond ; notwithstanding which, it well deserves a place in collections, on 

 account of its fine silvery foliage. 



GENUS II. 



426. A. orientMis. 



7 J E'RSICA Tourn. THE PEACH TREE. Lin. Syxt* Icosandria Monogynia. 



Identification. Tourn. Inst., t. 400. ; Mill. Diet. ; Dec. Fl. Fr., 487. ; Don's Mill., 2. p. 483. 

 Synonymes. Jm^gdalus sp. of Lin. and Juss. ; Trichocferpus Keck. Elem. No. 718. ; Pecher, Fr. ; 



Pfirschenbaum, Ger. ; Pesco, Ital. - , 

 Derivation. So named from the peach coming originally from Persia. 



Gen. Char. Drupe fleshy, with a glabrous or velvety apicarp, and having the 

 putamen wrinkled from irregular furrows. (Don's Mill.) 



Leaves simple, alternate, stipulate, deciduous ; conduplicate when young. 



