96 THE PLUMS OF NEW YORK. 



was produced by pollinating one of the somewhat improved Maritimas 

 with Prunus triflora. 



" The very first generation, a plum was produced which is an astonish- 

 ing grower for a Maritima almost equal to the Triflora, with large, broad 

 glossy foliage of almost the exact shape of the Maritima, Maritima blossoms, 

 and fruit weighing nearly one-quarter of a pound each, with an improved 

 superior Maritima flavor, Maritima pit in form, but enlarged. The most 

 singular peculiarity of this plum, which is so enormous, is that the trees 

 commence to bloom about with the Triflora and bloom and bear fruit 

 all summer, so that blossoms, young fruit and the enormous deep red 

 ripening fruit can be seen on the trees at the same time." 



21. PRUNUS GRAVESII Small 



I. Small Torrey Bot. Club Bui. 24:44, PI. 292. 1897. 2. Britton and Brown N. Am. Trees 

 2:249. 1897. 3. Robinson and Fernald Gray's Man. Ed. 7:498. 1908. 



Shrub low, slender, attaining a height of four feet; main trunk much branched, 

 with dark, rough bark; branches ascending, slender, leafless, unarmed; branchlets 

 of the season puberulent. Leaves oval-orbicular, orbicular or slightly obovate, rounded, 

 retuse or apiculated at the apex, base truncate or at least obtuse, margins sharply ser- 

 rate or crenate-serrate ; upper surface sparingly pubescent or glabrous, lower surface 

 pubescent, especially on the veins. 



Flowers white, one-half inch broad; borne in two or three-flowered, lateral umbels, 

 appearing with the leaves; calyx-tube campanulate, pubescent; petals sub-orbicular, 

 abruptly narrowed at the base; pedicels stout, stiff, pubescent. 



Fruit maturing in September; globose, one-half inch in diameter, nearly black, 

 with a light bloom, acid and astringent; stone broadly oval, rounded at the apex, 

 acute at the base. 



Prunus gravesii is now known only in Connecticut, where it is found 

 on a gravelly ridge at Groton near Long Island Sound. It grows in the 

 neighborhood of Prunus maritima to which it is evidently closely related. 

 Small in describing the species gives the following differences between the 

 Gravesii and the Maritima plums: (i) Prunus gravesii is more slender 

 and delicate in habit, and matures its leaves and fruit earlier in the season. 

 (2) The leaf of Prunus gravesii is small and sub-orbicular while that of the 

 other is larger and more elongated. (3) The new species has smaller flowers 

 with sub-orbicular petals while those of Prunus maritima are broadly 

 obovate and gradually narrowed at the base. (4) The fruit of Prunus 

 gravesii is smaller and more globose and has shorter pedicels. (5) The 

 stone is more turgid and is pointed only at the base ; that of Prunus 

 maritima is usually pointed at both ends. (6) Sprouts arising from the 



