PRUNUS, PLUM TREE. 103 



a brown-purple color on the side in the sun & a yellowish one on the shaded side. 



The buds are small, wide at their base, and lie against the branch. Their stems are 

 raised. 



The flowers are eleven lignes in diameter. Two or three emerge from the same 

 bud. The petals are almost round and slightly concave like a spoon. The tips of the 

 stamens are golden-yellow. 



The leaves are small, almost round, a little less wide toward the stalk than they are 

 at the other end. Their denticulation isn't very deep & forms only a small arc. The leaves 

 are sixteen lignes long & fourteen lignes wide. The stalk is six lignes long. 



The fruit is medium-sized and long. It's eighteen lignes high & fourteen-&-a-half 

 lignes in diameter. It's usually flattened at the middle so it's only twelve and two thirds 

 lignes in diameter at the flattened part. The flattening is apparent on both sides & greater 

 toward the top than at the stalk. There's no groove at all but merely a line that extends 

 from the top to the stalk & runs along one side of the large diameter & not on one of the 

 flattened sides. The stalk, four lignes long, inserts into a not very deep cavity. 



Its skin is cherry-red and abundantly speckled with brown spots, which dulls its 

 color. It peels off easily. 



Its flesh is yellow, thin, & firm. 



The juice is quite plentiful, flavorful & very sweet. 



The pit is ten lignes long, five-&-a-half lignes wide, and three lignes thick. It 

 doesn't cling to the flesh at all. 



This plum ripens at the beginning of September. 



