400 ROSACEA 



before the leaves. The fruit is yellow, round or oval, and has a 

 hairy velvety surface. 



Section II. — Leaves folded in the bud. 



Wild Cherry : Dwarf Cherry {Prunus Cerasus L.). — A small 

 shrubby tree, from 4 to 8 feet high, with slender branches. The 

 leaves are dark green, smooth on both sides, and possess short 

 petioles. 



The inner scales of the flower-buds are leafy and the sepals of 

 the flowers are serrated. The fruit is round and red, with soft, 

 juicy, acid ' flesh.' 



This species appears to be the parent of the Morello, Duke, 

 and Kentish cherries. 



Gean : ' Wild Cherry ' {Prunus Avium L.). — A taller tree 

 than the last, often 20 to 30 feet high, with erect, short, rigid 

 branches. The leaves are pale green, somewhat hairy beneath, 

 and with a long petiole ; they hang down more than those of the 

 dwarf cherry. None of the scales of the flower-buds are leafy, 

 and the sepals of the flowers are entire. The fruit is heart- 

 shaped, black or red, and has firm bitter flesh. 



This species appears to be the parent from which the Heart 

 and Bigarreau cherries have been derived. 



Bird Cherry {Prunus Padus L.). — A tree from 10 to 20 feet 

 high. It differs from the previously-mentioned cherries in having 

 its flowers in loose pendulous racemes from 3 to 6 inches long. 

 The fruits are round or ovoid and small, about \ of an inch in 

 diameter, with a bitter taste. 



The Almond {Prunus Amygdalus Hook. = Amygdalus com- 

 munis L.) has a hairy fruit with a leathery tough mesocarp : 

 when ripe the latter separates irregularly from the woody 

 wrinkled 'stone' which contains the seed. Two races are 

 known, namely, one with bitter the other with ' sweet ' seeds. 



The Peach {Prunus Persica Benth. et Hook. = Ainygdalus 

 Persica L.) very closely resembles the almond in all characters 

 except those of the fruit. The latter is usually covered with 



