HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLA.NTS. 



343 



DKU 



The order belongs to the class of Dico- 

 tyledons, and the sub-class Calyciflorce 

 Polypetalce, and to Lindley's Rosal Alli- 

 ance. They are trees and shrubs with 

 simple alternate stipulate leaves. The 

 flowers are white or pink, in umbels or 

 single. The fruit is a drupe, with a hard 

 endocarp; the seed usually solitary; no 

 albumen. The plants are found in cold 

 and temperate climates of the northern 

 hemisphere. The leaves, flowers, and 

 seeds yield hydrocyanic or prussic acid. 

 The fruit is in many cases edible. Amyg- 

 dalus commums, the Almond Tree, a na- 

 tive of Asia and Barbary, is cultivated in 

 the south of Europe. There are two 

 varieties, the one producing sweet, the 

 other bitter Almonds. From the kernels 

 prussic acid is obtained. Cerasus corn- 

 munis yields the common or cultivated 

 Cherry. C. Lauro-cerasus, the Cherry 

 Laurel or Bay Laurel, yields a hydrocy- 

 anated oil. Prunus communis furnishes 

 the common or cultivated Plum, and P. 

 Armeniaca the Apricot. Amygdalus Per- 

 sica supplies the Peach, and a variety 

 gives the Nectarine. There are five 

 known genera and a hundred and ten 

 species. Amygdalus, Cerasus, and Prunus 

 are examples of the order. 

 Drupe, (adj. Drupaceous.) A kind of fruit 

 consisting of a fleshy, succulent rind, and 

 containing a hard stone in the center, > 

 like the Olives, Plums, Apricots, etc. 



EBE 



Drupel, Drupeole. A very small Drupe. 

 The fruit of the Blackberry is composed 

 of several drupels, seated on a pulpy re- 

 ceptacle. 



Ducts. Tubular vessels marked by trans- 

 verse lines or dots; apparently, in some 

 cases, modifications of spiral vessels, 

 when they are called closed, annular, retic- 

 ulated, and scalariform; sometimes analo- 

 gous to pitted tissue, when they are 

 called dotted, and form bothrenchyma, 

 which see. 



Dulcis. Sweet, nectariferous. 



Dumus, (adj. Dumose.) A low brandling 

 shrub. 



Duplicate, Duplicaio. Growing in pairs. 

 When compounded with the words Cre- 

 nate, Dentate, Serrate, it implies that the 

 incisions on the margins of leaves bear- 

 ing these names are themselves crenated, 

 dentated, and serrated. 



Duplo. Twice as much as, or twice as 

 many as. 



Duramen. The heart- wood, or that part of 

 the timber of a tree which becomes hard- 

 ened by the matter deposited in it. It is 

 next the center in Exogens and next the 

 circumference in Endogens. 



Dusty. Where an otherwise smooth sur- 

 face is covered with minute granular in- 

 crustations resembling dust. 



Dwarf. Of small size compared with other 

 species of the same genus, or with other 

 varieties of the same species. 



E 



777 Ex. In compound words the mean- I Ebenacece, (Ebenads.) A natural order of 



J ing is without; as ex-albuminous, Corolh'floral Dicotyledons, belonging t<> 



without albumen. Lindley's Gentianal Alliance. They are 



Eared. Having ears; the same as auricu- ! trees or shrubs, not milky, with alternate 



late, which see. exstipulate, leathery, and entire leaves. 



