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WILD FLOWERS OF THE BRITISH ISLES 
COTONEASTER, MEDIC . — Flowers small, white or pink, solitary on short stalks (peduncles), or 
4-5 together in short, drooping clusters (racemes). Sepals 5, united into a tube and separating 
into 5 teeth ; petals 5, inserted in the throat of the calyx-tube. Stamens numerous, inserted 
within the petals ; carpels 2-5, adhering to the calyx-tube, but not united together, and 
separating into the same number of styles tipped with the stigmas. Fruit, a pulpy berry, with 
a bony core (pome), and the same number of free cells as styles, each containing 1 bony stone 
which contains 1 seed. Shrubs or small trees with undivided (simple), entire, alternate leaves, 
woolly underneath. 
Cotoneaster integferrimus, Medic. — The only British species (as just described). Flowers 
very small, £ inch across, pink, solitary or in pairs, drooping ; the fruit a small, round, shiny, red 
berry. A small shrub, 1-2 feet high, with undivided (simple), roundish leaves which are woolly 
underneath, and minute reddish bracts. 
Very rare. Limestone cliffs on the Great Orme’s Head. May — June. Shrub. 
PLUM, CHERRY, &e. (PRUNUS, LINN.) — -Flowers numerous and showy, in small clusters 
(racemes), white or pink. Sepals 5, united into a tube, and separating into 5 teeth ; petals 5, 
spreading, inserted in the throat of the calyx-tube ; stamens numerous, inserted with the petals ; 
carpel 1. Fruit a drupe, consisting of a fleshy, juicy exterior, and an inner hard stone, smooth 
or rugged, but not wrinkled, which contains 1 or rarely 2 seeds. Trees or shrubs with undivided 
(simple), alternate, toothed (serrate) leaves and small stipules. 
Blackthorn, or Sloe. (Prunus spinosa, Linn. )— Flowers usually produced before the 
leaves, £-f inch across, nearly stalkless (sessile), white, solitary or in pairs, closely massed up the 
branches. Sepals 5, united into a tube, with 5 broad, triangular teeth ; petals 5, oval, very 
shortly clawed; stamens numerous, with reddish anthers; carpel 1. Fruit a “plum” (drupe), 
round, small, erect, black with a bluish bloom, and with an acrid juice, containing 1 seed. A 
rigid, much-branched shrub, 3-10 feet high, the branches black and spiny; the leaves undivided 
egg-shaped (ovate) or oblong, finely toothed, shiny above and downy underneath. The Sloe is 
considered to be the origin of all our varieties of garden Plums. [ Plate 39. 
Very common. Thickets, woods, commons, hedges. March — April. Shrub. 
Bullace. (Prunus insititia, Huds.) — A very similar shrub, with larger flowers, appearing with 
the leaves ; larger fruit, drooping, bluish-black, rarely yellow, less acrid ; taller, with brown bark 
and few spines. 
Not uncommon. Hedges and woods. April — May. Shrub. 
*Wild Plum. (Prunus domestica, Linn.)— Not a native. A very similar tree to the 
last, differing in its oblong sweet fruit, branches without spines, and leaves only downy on the 
under part of the veins. 
Uncommon, not a native. Hedges. April — May. Tree. 
Wild Cherry, Gean. (Prunus Avium, Linn.)— Flowers f inch or more across, white 
drooping, in clusters of 3-5 on stalks i|-2 inches long, all starting from the same point on the 
main flowering stalk (umbel). Calyx-teeth turned back ; petals deeply notched, cup-shaped, 
falling quickly (fugacious). [As described in the genus Prunus.] Fruit a “ cherry,” a polished 
drupe, red or black, sweet or bitter, with a nearly round, smooth stone. A tree 10-30 feet 
high, without suckers, with smooth, greyish bark. Leaves 2-4 inches long, oval, sharply 
toothed, drooping, downy underneath, becoming a glorious red in the autumn. 
Not uncommon. Woods and hedges. May — June. Tree. 
Dwarf or Red Cherry. (Prunus Cerasus, Linn. V— Very similar to the Wild Cherry, 
