358 



PB ACTIO AL GUIDE TO OABDEN PLANTS peunus 



lance-shaped serrulate leaves. Flowers 

 early in March, white or rose, in great 

 profusion before the leaves. Fruit com- 

 pressed, egg-shaped, woolly. There are 

 several varieties all beautiful, among them 

 being amara (Bitter Almond), with large 

 white flowers rosy at the base ; seeds 

 bitter: dulcis (Sweet Almond), flowers 

 red, earher than the type ; leaves grey- 

 green ; seeds sweet : Jlore pleno. flowers 

 double, flesh-colour, rosy in bud ; leaves 

 oval elliptic, pointed : fragilis, leaves 

 shorter than in the type ; flowers pale rose : 

 macrocarpa, leaves broader than in the 

 type, pointed; flowers blush-rose, about 



2 in. across with broadly obcordate wavy 

 petals, and large fruits : and pendnila. 

 drooping in habit. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 356. 



P. angustifolia (CMckasaw Phim). — 

 A native of the United States, where it 

 attains a height of 15-20 ft. It has leaves 



3 in. long, and white or creamy-tinted 

 flowers, each about ^ in. across, There 

 are several varieties, including a varie- 

 gated one; but they are not yet well- 

 known in this country. 



CiiUtnr dr. as above, p. 356. 



P. Armeniaca {Armeniaca vulgaris). — 

 Common Apricot. — A native of N. Chuia, 

 15 ft. or more high, with ovate, heart- 

 shaped, smooth, serrated leaves. Flowers 

 in February and March before the leaves, 

 pinkish- white, stalkless. There is a double- 

 flowered variety. 



Culture lie. as above, p. 356. 



P. Avium {Oerasus Avmm). — Wild 

 Cherry or Oean. — A beautiful British 

 tree 20-30 ft. high, with oval lance- 

 shaped, pointed, serrated, somewhat droop- 

 ing leaves, slightly downy beneath, with 

 2 glands at the base. Flowers in April 

 and May, before the leaves, white. Fruit 

 roundish ovoid, depressed, black, with 

 succulent sugary flesh adhering to the 

 stone. This is one of the parents of the 

 fruiting Cherries. A hybrid named grceca 

 has been obtained by crossing it with P. 

 Mahaleb. 



Culture dc. as above. The variety 

 decumana is a striking tree with leaves 

 6-8 in. long. Juliana {St. Julian's 

 Cherry) and its sub-varieties have large 

 beautiful blush-tinted flowers appearing 

 with the leaves, and ovate heart-shaped, 

 sweet-flavoured fruits ; multiplex has 

 pure white double flowers ; nana is dwarf 



in habit ; laciniata has cut leaves ; and 

 pendula has a drooping habit. 



P. biferum. — A vigorous tree of garden 

 origin remarkable for bearing flowers and 

 fruit at the same time. Leaves broadly 

 oval, nai'rowed at both ends. Flowers in 

 April, large, white, on the old wood, in 

 small umbellate clusters ; the later ones 

 appearing on the young wood in short 

 racemes. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 356. 



P. Boissieri (Amygdahus Boissieri). — 

 An ornamental Almond, native of Asia 

 Minor, not yet well known. Leaves 1 in. 

 long, elliptic, leathery.. Flowers in early 

 spring, pale flesh-colour, numerous. 



Cidiiire dc. as above, p. 356. 



P. Brigantiaca (Armeniaca Brigan- 

 tiaca). — A South European Apricot 6-8 

 ft. high, with rather heart-shaped, pointed, 

 sharply and numerously toothed leaves. 

 Flowers in March, before the leaves, 

 white or pink, almost sessile, in heads, 

 followed by small yellow Apricot-like fruits. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 356. 



P. CapoUin.— A Mexican Cherry 30-35 

 ft. high in a wild state. Leaves dark 

 glossy green, loose, drooping. Flowers 

 white, in erect racemes. Fruit round, 

 dark red. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 356. 



P. caroliniana. — A pretty North Ame- 

 rican Cherry, with evergreen oblong 

 lance-shaped mucronate smooth, rather 

 leathery, almost entire leaves. Flowers 

 in May, rather large, white, in dense 

 axillary racemes. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 356. 



P. cerasifera (Myrohalan). — The 

 native country of this showy Plum is 

 unknown but it is supposed to be indige- 

 nous to the Caucasus. It forms a very 

 handsome round-headed tree about 20 

 ft. high, with elHptic obovate acute, ser- 

 rulate leaves, smooth beneath. Flowers 

 in March and AprO before the leaves, white, 

 about 1 in. across, in clusters on short 

 twigs. Fruit red, round, yellow-fleshed. 

 P. Pissardi (or P. cerasifera atropur- 

 purea) is a beautiful variety of Persian 

 origin. It has glossy, blackish-purple 

 twigs, and smooth, broadly oval, reddish- 

 purple leaves ; flowers white ; fruit small, 

 deep red or purple, sugary when ripe. 

 The foliage is now extensively used by 

 florists for floral decorations. 



The variety contorta has spirally 



