56 



forming thickets. The whi'e flowers are conspicuous with a 

 decided odor. It flowers from the latter part of April to 

 early 'May, depending on the season. ■ The flowers areslightT 

 ly proterogynous, wh^n open they are ready to receive the 

 pollen. Somie varieties of the European P. domestica L.-atq 

 more strongly proterogynous. The stamens mature some- 

 what later. They are as long or a little longer than the style. 

 Self pollination may occur, though in some cases this is prer 

 vented by seflf impotency, in some varieties.- Prunus hortu^ 

 I ma, Bailey, as I have had occasion to observe for seven 

 years, has imperfect flowers.. Many flowers of our native 

 pluiH have since been examined and I have never failed, in 

 some individuals at least, to find this character well pro- 

 nounoed. 



In all cases examined the suppression was all in the di- 

 rection of the pistil. The stamens in all cases were well de- 

 veloped. In these imperfect flowers the pistil is short, scarce- 

 ly as long as the calyxtube. In the R.>llingstone the pistil 

 is entirely absent in many cases. 



To see how generally the pistils were rudimentary, a 

 number of counts were made on branches selected at randain 

 on several trees. On the flrst tree 79 pfT cent of the flowers 

 counted were perfect and 21 per cent imperfect; on the sec- 

 ond tree the flowers 76 per cent perfect and 24 per cent im- 

 perfect, while in the third tree but 31 per cent of the flowers 

 were perfect and 69 per cent were, imperfect. Prof. Gofl'has 

 observed similar facts; he states: ''Imperfect pistils or an 

 absence of pistils, has also been oflered as a reason 

 for infertility in native- pkims. Unquestionably this defect 

 sometimes occurs. Professor- Bailey mentions a wild plum 

 tree of his acquaintance that bears flowers without pistils, 

 also that, in the reason of 1892, only about one flower in 



