THE PEACHES OF NEW YORK 79 



We name but one sub-species of Primus persica, and that doubtful. 

 Mr. Frank N. Meyer of the United States Department of Agriculture has 

 recently introduced into the United States cuttings of a wild peach from 

 the province of Kansu, China, which he thinks has horticultvu-al value. 

 The peach is Pruniis persica potamni Batalin {Act. Hort. Petrop. 12 :i64. 

 1892) which Mr. Meyer describes as follows: ^ 



" A wild peach of the davidiana type, but differing from it in various 

 points. Collected at the base of sheltered mountains at an elevation of 

 4300 feet. A tall shrub or even small tree, up to 30 feet in height, bark 

 of stem or trunk dark reddish-brown and quite smooth in the younger 

 shoots; leaves like those of Amygdaliis davidiana but often broader in the 

 middle and always less pointed. Fruits of round-elongated form; skin 

 covered with a heavy down, no edible flesh; stones of elliptical shape, grooves 

 longer than in A. davidiajia, shells very hard and thick, kernels elongated 

 and relatively small. Found growing at elevations from 4000 to 7000 

 feet, in side valleys away from the Siku river; thrives especially well in 

 sheltered and warm mountain pockets. Of value especially as a stock 

 for stone-fruits and possibly able to stand even more dry heat than 

 A. davidiana; also recommended as an ornamental spring-flowering tree, 

 especially for the drier parts of the United States. Chinese name Mao t'ao, 

 meaning ' hairy peach.' " 



There are many ornamental forms of the peach-tree — sorts with single 

 or double flowers, white, pink or red in color, normal, red or variegated 

 foliage and standard or dwarf trees. The best-known named ornamental 

 peaches are camelliaeflora with large, carmine flowers and its sub-variety, 

 plena, with double flowers; versicolor with different colored flowers on 

 branches of the same tree; atropurpiirea with brownish-red foliage; foliis 

 ruhris, similar or possibly the same as the preceding, the color in both 

 ■extending to the fruit; magnifica, a semi-double with brilliant carmine- 

 crimson flowers; pyramidalis,a pyrimidal form; pendula, a weeping peach; 

 and still others, of the distinctness of which we cannot be certain, as diavihi- 

 alba-plena, rubro-plena, and coccineo-plena. With these ornamentals we 

 are not to be further concerned. 



Of Japanese garden-forms the following varieties have been described: 

 P. Persica var. densa Makimo Tokyo Bot. Mag. 16:178. 1902. P. per- 

 sica var. vulgaris, f. stellata Makimo 1. c. 22:119. 1908. P. Persica var. 

 vulgaris, f. praematura Makimo 1. c. 22:119. 1908. 



Species are but convenient groups, their limits reflecting the judg- 



V. S. D. A. Plant Immigrants No. 106:858. 1915. 



