PBUNUS 



BOSE OBDEB 



spmaiA 363 



leaves like those of the Common Almond 

 (P. Amygdalua). Flowers in February 

 and March, white, succeeded by deep 

 purple fruits. 



Culture d'c. as above, p. 356. 



P. subhirtella. — A pretty erect-grow- 

 ing Japanese Cherry closely related to P. 

 pendula. It has rather dull green ovate- 

 pointed leaves more or less hairy on both 

 sides. The beautiful soft rosy flowers, 

 about h in. across, are borne in March 

 and April, and give a very handsome 

 appearance to the tree. 



Culture die. as above, p. 356. 



P. tomentosa. — A pretty Chinese and 

 Japanese shrub 5-9 ft. high, with leaves 

 and branches more or less covered with 

 soft downy hairs, and having large white, 

 flesh-tinted flowers produced early in 

 March and April, succeeded later on by 

 Cherry-like fruits about ^ an inch in 

 diameter. This species is not yet well 

 known but has been proved quite hardy at 

 Kew. It is interesting from the fact that 

 it seems to stand between the Cherries 

 and Apricots, thus linking the two. 



Culture dc. as above, p. 856. 



P. triloba fl. pi. {Anvygdalopsis Lind- 

 leyi ; Prtinopsis Lindleyi). — This is 

 perhaps the very best of all the beautiful 

 flowering Plums, Cherries, or Almonds. 

 It is a native of China and grows 10-15 

 ft. high, and is easily recognised by its 

 3-lobed leaves which appear after the 

 flowers. The latter are produced in such 

 profusion at the end of March or early in 

 April as to practically cover the tree ; they 

 are usually white although tinged with 

 rose when opening, double, and about 

 1^2 in. across. The single-flowered 

 variety is not yet well known, although 

 it has recently been introduced. It has 

 smaller, rosy-white flowers. 



Culture dc. as above. 



P. virginiana (Cerasus virginiana). — 

 Choice Cherry. — A native of the United 

 States, where it is said to grow from 20 

 to 80 ft. high. Leaves smooth, oblong, 

 pointed, doubly serrate. Flowers in May 

 and June, white, in long, erect racemes. 

 Fruit round, red. 



Culture dc. as above. 



P. Watsoni {Sand Plum). — A recently 

 introduced compact-growing twiggy shrub 

 3-12 ft. high, native of the United States. 

 Its beautiful white or blush blossoms 

 appear abovit the middle of May, 3 or 4 in 

 cluster, and in such profusion that the 

 twigs are almost completely hidden from 

 view. The flowers are about i in. across, 

 and emit a delicate fragrance. They are 

 succeeded by bright orange-red shining 

 fruits in warm and sheltered localities in 

 favovirable seasons. 



Culture dc, as above. 



NUTTALLIA(OsoBEKE¥). — A genus 

 with only one species described below, 

 with the generic characters : — 



N. cerasiformis. — A rather pretty 

 Californian shrub, 6-12 feet high, with 

 obovate, entire, aeciduous leaves. Flowers 

 in March and April, polygamous-dicecious, 

 white, small, in drooping racemes, some- 

 times before the leaves appear. Calyx 

 campanulate, 5-lobed. Petals 5, oblong, 

 shortly clawed. Stamens 15, the 10 upper 

 ones inserted on the calyx, the 5 lower 

 deflexed inserted in the middle of the tube. 

 Fruit Plum-like, purple, about 1 in. 

 long and | in. broad, rarely ripens in even 

 the most favoured parts of the British 

 Islands. 



Culture amd Propagation. — This 

 species grows well in ordinary soil and 

 may be increased by the suckers from the 

 roots, or from imported seeds. Cuttings 

 of the more or less ripened shoots may 

 also be rooted in sandy soil under a hand- 

 light. By layering the lower branches in 

 autumn fresh plants may also be secured. 



Tribe II. SpiebjE. — Shrubs or trees. Calyx lobes usually persistent, 

 or more. Carpels 1-8, not enclosed by the calyx tube. 



Stamens 10 



SPIR.EA (Meadow Sweet). — A 

 genus with about 50 species of beautiful 

 herbs, shrubs, or undershrubs, mostly 

 deciduous. Leaves alternate, simple, 

 pinnate, or 2-3-ternate. Stipules fr-ee, or 

 sheathing and adnate to the leaf stalk. 

 Flowers axillary or terminal, variously 

 clustered, hermaphrodite or polygamous- 

 dicecious. Sepals and petals 4-5. Stamens 



20-60, inserted in 1 or more series or 

 bundles round the mouth of the calyx 

 tube. Carpels usually 5, dehiscent. 



Culture and Propagation. — Spirseas 

 may roughly be divided into two groups — 

 shrubby-stemmed and herbaceous, the 

 stems and leaves of the latter dying down 

 in winter, the former losing only their 

 leaves. The herbaceous kinds as a rule 



