CLASSIFICATION. 61 



roughened pit. A very kandsome fruit but not much cultivated 

 on account of its poor quality. 



APEICOTS. 



Flowers much as in the peaches and almonds; leaves convo- 

 lute or rolled up in the bud; fruit pubescent or smooth, the 

 stone compressed, bearing one prominent margin, and either 

 smoothed or slightly roughened. 



P. Armeniaca, Linn. Common- Apeicot. — Native of China ; 

 flowers pink-white, sessile and appearing singly before the 

 leaves; the latter varying from ovate to round ovate, promi- 

 nently pointed and toothed, and long-stalked ; fruit ripening in 

 July and August, smooth; the large, flat, smooth stone nearly 

 or quite free. The Russian Apricot is a hardy race of this. 

 A fruit somewhat intermediate between the peach and the 

 plum. Contrary to the usual opinion, it is as hardy as the 

 peach. 



P. dasycarpa, Ehrh. Black or Purple Apeicot. — Small 

 tree, much like the last, but the flowers prominently stalked; 

 the leaves thinner and narrower, with small serratures; fruit 

 dull purple and fuzzy; the flesh clinging to the thick, scarcely 

 margined, pubescent stone. ]Srati»;ity unknown. Of little value 

 as compared with the above. 



P. mume, Sieb & Zucc. Japanese Apeicot. — Tree simi- 

 lar to the common apricot but the bark grayish and the foliage 

 duller in color; leaves smaller and more nearly round; fruit 

 smaller, yellow or green and the dry flesh adhering to the pitted 

 stone. 



