420 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [ DECEMBER 
to read backward through Seringe, Linnzeus, Tournefort and 
Bauhin, and to see more clearly what those early botanists were 
describing. Ofcourse sucha method is always open to mistakes, 
and it will not do to be too sure that we have Bauhin’s exact 
view of the various groups. The following table will show, as accu- 
rately as I am at present able to trace, the relation of the vari- 
eties of Bauhin, Tournefort, Linnzus, and Seringe to one another. 
It is seen at once that Seringe had very little regard for 
Linnzus’ names in preparing the monograph for the Prodromus. 
Only three of the Linnean variety names are retained. The 
other groups given in Species Plantarum are totally disregarded. 
This is very unfortunate; for in coming to any understanding 
of the early botanical types of Prunus domestica, Seringe’s clas- 
sification offers much the best basis for study. I have thought 
it best to accept tentatively the eight varieties as given by 
Seringe, since they doubtless represent the most distinct, as 
well as the only well-recorded types, and to study these groups 
separately. A due respect to the rules of botanical nomenclature, 
however, makes it necessary to revise some of Seringe’s names. 
It will therefore be better if we give here with this revision 2 
more complete record of the pre-DeCandollean synonymy. 
PRE-DECANDOLLEAN SYNONYMY OF THE VARIETIES OF PRU- 
NUS DOMESTICA LInN. 
1, Var. MALIFORMIS Linn. (var. Armentotdes Ser.) 
P, fructu maximo, rotundo, flavo & dulci Tourn. 
P, rotunda flava dulcia Mali amplitudina Bauh. 
_ P, a Malis cognominata Caes. 
Var. amygdalina Linn? 
P. fructu Amygdalino Tourn. 
P, amygdalina Bauh. 
P, amygdalina Pliny. 
2. Var. CEREOLA Linn. (var. Claudiana Ser.) 
fructu parvo, ex viridi flavescente Tourn. 
parva ex viridi flavescentia Bauh. 
parva serotina, cereola Gesn. 
. viridacia Gesn. 
verdacea Cam, 
we 
