MALACEAE. 



VOL. II. 



i. Cotoneaster Pyracantha (L.) Spach. 



Evergreen or Fire Thorn. Pyracanth. 



Fig. 2408. 



Mespilns Pyracantha L. Sp. PI. 478. 1753. 

 Crataegus Pyracantha Medic. Gesch. 84. 1798. 

 Cotoneaster Pyracantha Spach, Hist. Veg. 2 : 73. 



1834- 



A shrub, 3-8 high. Spines slender, \'-\' 

 long ; leaves evergreen, glabrous on both sides, 

 oval or slightly oblanceolate, crenulate, obtuse 

 at the apex, usually narrowed at the base, 

 somewhat shining above, i'-2' long, short- 

 petioled; cymes terminal, compound, many- 

 flowered ; pedicels and calyx pubescent ; calyx- 

 lobes ovate ; flowers about 3" broad ; styles 5 ; 

 fruit scarlet, depressed-globose, about 2" high, 

 bitter. 



In thickets, escaped from cultivation about 

 Philadelphia and Washington. Native of south- 

 ern Europe and western Asia. Christ's- or Egyp- 

 tian-thorn. May. 



Family 56. AMYGDALACEAE Reichb. Consp. 177. 1828. 



PEACH FAMILY. 



Trees or shrubs, the bark exuding gum, the foliage, bark and seeds contain- 

 ing prussic acid, bitter. Leaves alternate, petioled, serrate, the small stipules early 

 deciduous, the teeth and petiole often glandular. Flowers corymbose, umbelled, 

 racemed or solitary, regular, mostly perfect. Calyx inferior, deciduous, free from 

 the ovary, its tube obconic, campanulate or tubular, 5-lobed. Disk annular. Calyx- 

 lobes imbricated in the bud. Petals 5, inserted on the calyx. Stamens numerous, 

 inserted with the petals. Pistil I in our genera ; ovary i-celled, 2-ovuled ; style 

 simple; stigma mostly small and capitate. Fruit a drupe. Seed i, suspended; 

 endosperm none ; cotyledons fleshy. 



About 10 genera and 120 species, widely distributed, most abundant in the north temperate zone. 

 Drupe glabrous. 



Flowers umbellate or corymbose, appearing before or with the leaves mostly on branches of the 



previous year. i. Pruniis. 



Flowers racemose, appearing after the leaves on branches of the year. 2. Padus. 



Drupe velvety. 3. Amygdalus. 



i. PRUNUS [Tourn.] L. Sp. PL 473. 1753. 



Shrubs or trees, mostly with edible fruits, the white or pink flowers umbellate or corym- 

 bose, the leaves conduplicate or convolute in vernation. Petals spreading. Stamens 15-20, 

 distinct; filaments filiform. Style terminal; stigma peltate or truncate. Exocarp of the 

 drupe fleshy, glabrous, the endocarp bony, smooth or a little roughened, globose or oval, or 

 oblong and compressed. [Ancient Latin name of the Plum-tree.] 



About 95 species, natives of the north temperate zone, tropical America and Asia. Besides the 

 following, some 15 others occur in the southern and western parts of North America. The genus 

 is often divided into Primus proper, the plums, and Cerasus, the cherries ; but other than flavor, 

 there appears to be no salient feature separating the two groups. Type species : Primus domestica L, 



* Flowers in lateral scaly umbels or fascicles, expanding with or before the leaves. 



t Inflorescence umbellate, the clusters sessile or nearly so. 



Leaves convolute in vernation ; fruit mostly large ; pit more or less flattened. (PLUMS.) 

 Umbels several-flowered. 



Leaves abruptly acuminate ; drupe red or yellow. 



Calyx-lobes entire, pubescent within; fruit globose. i. P.americana. 



Calyx-lobes glandular-serrate ; fruit subglobose or oval. 



Calyx-lobes glabrous within ; leaves oval or obovate. 2. P. nigra. 



Calyx-lobes pubescent on both sides ; leaves ovate-lanceolate. 3. P. hortulana. 



Leaves acute or obtusish ; drupe red or purple. 

 Leaves glabrous when mature. 



Fruit red. with little bloom or none. 4. P. angustifolia. 



Fruit dark purple, with a bloom ; leaves ovate. 5. P. alleghaniensis. 



