BOSACEJE. 409 



spherical or elongated, smooth or wrinkled stone. The leaves are 

 conduplicate in vernation, and the flowers arranged in more or less 

 elongated axillarj^ or terminal racemes. There are about a score 

 and a half of species in the warm and temperate regions of both 

 Worlds, especially America.' 



In all the preceding sections of the genus Pnmm we find species 

 which present variations in the number of pieces in the flower. 



Prurms Laurocerasus (^Cherry Laurel). 



We rarely find a tetramerous or hexamerous perianth. The petals 

 again are rarely qnite absent, as in Ceraseidos? The number of 

 stamens may be higher than twenty, and we often find twenty- 

 five, thirty, "or even more. Other flowers have only fifteen, and 

 rarely less. 



» Seb DC, Of. cii., 539.— Spach, 0^. cit., 516. — Webb, Thyt. Canar., t. 38.— Walp., 



412 — h".'b. K., Nov. Gen. et Spec, vi. t. 563.— Rep., ii. 10 ; v. 648 ; Ann., iv. 652. 



Wall op. cit., t. I8I.-H00K., Beech. Voy.. 2 Sieb. & Zucc, Abhandl. Munch. A&cuL, 



i. 83 ; "icon., t. 371 ; Bot. Mag., t. 3141.— Jacq., iii. 743, t. 5, lig. ii. 

 Fl. Austr., t. 227.— Geen. & Godk., op. cit.. 



