• NATIVE AMERICAN SPECIES OF PKUNUS. 45 



Prunus angustifolia vxitsom is very difficult to distinguish from 

 the species in the herbarium, but the leaves appear to be less pointed, 

 shghtly less minutely serrate, and the serrations less deep in propor- 

 tion to their length, with the glands less often near the center of the 

 t^eth but frequently even in the lowest part of the indentation. In 

 the field, the form usually appears even more shrubby, the branches 

 more zigzag, and the fruit usually ripens later, A few specimens 

 from southwestern Kansas and one from New Mexico are unusually 

 pubescent, but they do not differ otherwise. 



The fruit is often gathered in considerable quantities in many 

 locahties and is sometimes sold in the markets. This form is also 

 sometimes grown in small orchards in Kansas. Among the named 

 varieties which appear to belong to the subspecies, Purple Pan- 

 handle, Red Panhandle, Yellow Panhandle, and Quitique have come 

 from the Panhandle region of Texas. Other varieties are Straw- 

 berry and Welcome. These plums are said to appear promising in 

 their native region, but they proved disappointing when brought to 

 Austin, Tex., where some of them were introduced to the trade. 

 Nevertheless, the form should not be lost sight of in any comprehen- 

 sive effort to improve the native species. 



Prunus Angustifolia Watsoni Hybrids. 



There is httle doubt that the form known as the Utah hybrid, X 

 PrvMus utaJiensis has this subspecies for one of its parents. It is 

 also supposed to hybridize with P. americana, and these hybrids are 

 discussed under P. hesseyi and P. orthosepdla, respectively. 



Prunus Angustifolia Varians Wight and Hedrick. 



Prunus angustifolia varians Wight and Hedrick, in Hedrick, 1911, The Plums of 

 New York, p. 87. 



Leaves oblong-oval, oval-lanceolate, or rarely shghtly obovate- 

 lanceolate, mostly 3.5 to 6 cm. long, 2 to 2.5 cm. broad, gradually 

 narrowed at the base, acute at the apex, the margui very minutely 

 glandular serrate, glabrous and somewhat lustrous above, slightly 

 pale, glabrous or sparingly hairy along the midrib and in the axils of 

 the lateral veins on the lower surface; the slender petioles usually 

 reddish, 10 to 15 mm. long, pubescent along the upper side, eglandular 

 or sometimes with one or two glands at the apex; stipules 3 to 4 mm. 

 long, linear, and glandular dentate. Flowci-s, appearing from early 

 in March and before the leaves in the South to the middle of April and 

 with the leaves in the North, in dried specimens 10 to 12 mm. broad; 

 pedicels 7 to mm. long, glabrous; calyx campanulate, the tube 2 to 

 2.5 mm. long, glabrous, the lobes usually shorter than the tube, oblong 

 and obtuse, glabrous on the outer surface, glabrous or sometimes 

 sparingly pubescent on the inner, the margin ciliatc, eglandular; 



