160 



ALMONDS. 



SILVERY ORIENTAL. PR. CAT. 



Amygdalus argentea. N. Duh. 

 Amygdalus orient cdis. 



This is a distinct species, and is cultivated only for orna- 

 ment. It is a handsome shrub, or small tree, and attains to 

 the height of eight to ten feet ; its limbs spread in every di- 

 rection, from which spring numerous slender, supple branches, 

 most of them inclined or bent, and which are covered with a 

 whitish pubescence ; the leaves are not closely set, but scat- 

 tered over the branches ; they have petioles, and are reflexed, 

 of a long-oval form, with very entire edges, white and downy 

 on both sides, shining and almost of a silvery hue, partially 

 acute at the extremity, and contracted at the base ; they are 

 about an inch in length by half an inch in breadth, and do 

 not fall off until very late in the season. The flowers expand 

 during the first fine days of spring, a short time before the 

 appearance of the leaves, and are small, of a delicate rose- 

 colour, ranged along the branches on short petioles, either 

 singly or two or three together ; the fruit is small, somewhat 

 oval, terminating in a long sharp point. This species is a 

 native of the Levant, and grows in the vicinity of Aleppo. 

 Its appearance is particularly ornamental to the pleasure 

 ground in the spring on account of its flowers, and in au- 

 tumn its foliage is so from its long continuance. This shrub 

 will not bear our winters much farther north than New- York. 



DWARF SINGLE FLOWERING. PR. CAT. 

 Amygdalus nana. N. Duh. Lin. Mil., &c. 



This is a small and very ornamental shrub, with running 

 roots ; the body is slender, with many small branches, and 

 from one to two feet in height ; the leaves have petioles, and 

 are alternate, lanceolate, almost linear, green, palest on the 

 under side, and glabrous on both, finely indented, three to 

 four inches in length by four to six lines in breadth, and some- 

 what decurrent on the petiole. The flowers are numerous, 



