APRICOT 399 



into benzaldehyde (oil of bitter almonds), sugar, and the very 

 poisonous prussic acid. 



4. The chief species of Frunus are the sloe, buUace, plum, 

 cherry, apricot, almond, and peach. 



They may be divided into two groups according to the way in 

 which the leaves are packed on the bud. 



Section I. — I^eaves rolled in the bud. 



Sloe or Black-thorn {Frunus spinosa L.). — A small shrub, 

 with almost black bark, many spiny branches, and white 

 protogynous flowers which appear in spring before the narrow 

 lanceolate foliage leaves. The fruit is a small round drupe, 

 about \ an inch in diameter, with a glaucous ' bloom ' and 

 smooth peduncle. 



Bullace {Frunus insititj,a L.). — A shrubby tree with a few 

 spiny branches and dark-brown bark. The young twigs are 

 usually covered with a soft down, and the broader almost ovate 

 leaves are also downy on the under surfaces. The flowers are 

 white and usually appear with the leaves. The round fruits are 

 black or yellow, about f to 1 inch in diameter, with downy 

 peduncles and glaucous bloom. 



The damson is a form of bullace with oval fruits. 



Wild Flnm {Frunus domestica L.). — This is a small tree 

 similar to the Bullace in the shape of its leaves and the colour of 

 the bark. The branches do not possess spines and are devoid 

 of downy hair. The fruits are oval or oblong, about i to ij 

 inches long, black, with smooth peduncles. 



The wild plum is not a native of this country, although well- 

 established in woods and hedges as an escape from cultivation. 



The cultivated plums have arisen from the above and several 

 other species most probably by cross fertilisation : the origin of 

 many varieties is however unknown. 



Apricot {Frunus Armeniaca I..). — An introduced tree origin- 

 ally derived from Mongolia and Turkestan (not Armenia as its 

 name implies). The branches are smooth and the flowers appear 



