46 BULLETIN 179, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
petals about 5 mm. long, obovate and gradually narrowed toward the 
base, erose or entire toward the apex. Fruit mostly ripening in 
June in its native region, globose or subglobose, varying from red to 
yellow, usually with a light bloom; stone 13 to 16 mm. long, 9 to 12 
mm. broad, turgid, ovoid to elliptic oblong, obscurely pointed at the | 
apex or sometimes slightly obtuse, truncate or obliquely truncate at | 
the base, grooved on the dorsal edge, the ventral edge with a narrow, 
thickened, and slightly grooved wing, the surface irregularly rough- 
ened. 
In its native state Prunus angustifolia varvans forms dense thickets, 
as does the species, the larger specimens attaining a height of about 
11 feet. When budded and grown in the orchard it assumes the 
form of a small tree with well-defined trunk and spreading branches, 
sometimes armed with rather slender spinescent branchlets. It is 
distinguished from the species by its usually more robust habit, by 
having the young twigs less reddish and approaching chestnut brown 
in color, by rather longer leaves and longer pediceled flowers, and by 
the stone usually being more pointed at the apex. 
Prunus angustifolia varians usually grows in more fertile soul than 
the species. It occurs locally from southern Oklahoma through 
eastern Texas southward, possibly to the Colorado River, and prob- 
ably westward nearly to the Panhandle region. As yet, however, 
its distribution is not well defined. 
Prunus angustifolia varions embraces nearly all of the early-ripening | 
horticultural varieties previously referred to P. angustifolia, and its | 
fruit appears to be superior to that of the species. Among the varie- | 
ties typical of the form may be mentioned African, Clark, Cluck, | 
Coletta, Emerson, Fawn, Mason, Piram, and Yellow Transparent. 
PrRuNUS ANGUSTIFOLIA VARIANS HYBRIDS. 
The subspecies Prunus angustifolia varians has apparently been | 
crossed with P. munsoniana and P. triflora, and the variety Marianna | 
(Pl. XIII, figs. 11 and 12) may represent a hybrid either of this form | 
or of P. angustifolia with P. cerasifera. Since its introduction the | 
parentage of the Marianna has remained in doubt, and even now its | 
origin is not clear. The history of the variety is given by G. Onder- | 
donk (58, p. 28); the well-known nurseryman of southern Texas, as | 
follows: 
It was an accidental seedling on the grounds of Mr. C. G. Fitze, at Marianna, Polk | 
County, Tex. Cuttings were furnished Mr. C. N. Elyin 1877. Henamed it Marianna, 
after the locality of its origin, and introduced it to the public. | 
Mr. Ely lived at Smith Point, Tex., and introduced the variety in | 
1884 (5, p.213). It hassometimes been considered a hybrid of Prunus — 
cerasifera with the Wild Goose, P. munsoniana, and these species may | 
