I 
it has been adopted by almost every nation 
of Europe, and now flourishes abundantly 
in America, where it has been introduced 
by the Europeans. Of this tree we have 
only one distinct species ; but there are a 
great many varieties, and by producing 
them from the seed or kernel, they may be 
almost indefinitely increased. But though 
they are capable of being greatly augmented 
in this manner, it is probable that but very 
few possess the necessary qualities, as nursery- 
men seldom cultivate more than twenty or 
thirty sorts. As in the cultivation of this 
sort of tree much expense is constantly re- 
quired in walls or other suitable buildings, 
none but such as produce fine fruit should 
be attended to. This sort of trees will grow 
to a considerable height as standards; but, 
in order to produce and ripen fruit, requires 
the shelter of warm walls. They flower 
early in the spring in common, the flowers 
appearing before the leaves, mostly on the 
shoots of the preceding year, and either 
singly or in pairs along their sides. They 
are formed each of five small petals, with 
many stamina in the middle, and a small 
round germen, that becomes the peach. 
The fruit is distinguished into two sorts, the 
peach and pavie, from the circumstances of 
the flesh or pulp quitting or adhering to the 
stone, as in the former it easily separates, 
while in the latter it adheres firmly. There 
are various sorts of peaches that may be 
cultivated; but for small gardens Mr. For- 
syth recommends the following as the most 
suitable : the early avant, small mignonne, 
the Anne peach, royal George, royal Ken- 
sington, noblesse, early Newington, Galland, 
early purple, chancellor, nivette, the Ca- 
tharine, the late Newington. Amygdalus 
nucipersica, or the nectarine tree. This 
is now generally considered as a variety of 
the peach; but the two trees cannot by 
any circumstances in their growth, wood, 
leaves, or flowers, be distinguished from 
each other with any degree of certainty. 
The fruits are, however, readily descrimi- 
nated in all their different stages of growth, 
that of the nectarine having a smooth, firm 
cuticle, or rind, while in the peach it is co- 
vered with a soft, downy substance. Be- 
sides, the pulp or flesh of the former is much 
more finruthan that of the latter. There 
are many varieties of the nectarine that may 
be cultivated'; but those that chiefly deserve 
attention are the Fairchild’s, the violet, the 
eirouge, the Newington, the Roman, the 
temple, and the vermash. The white nec- 
i ailne may also be cultivated, both for the 
AMY 
goodness of its fruit, and as being a curious 
variety. 
AMYRIS, a genus of the Octandria Mo- 
nogynia class and order ; its characters are, 
that the calyx is a perianthium, one-leafed, 
four-toothed, acute, erect, small, and per- 
manent ; the corolla consists of four oblong, 
concave, and spreading petals ; the stamina 
have awl-shaped, erect filaments; anthers 
oblong, erect, of the length of the corolla ; 
the pistillum has a germ, superior, ovate, 
style thickish, of the length of the stamens, 
and stigma four-cornered ; the pericarpium 
is a drupaceous and roundish berry ; and the 
seed is a round, shining nut. There are 13 
species, dC which we shall notice A. sylva- 
tica, with leaves ternate, crinate, and acute. 
This is an erect, leafy shrub, from two to 
15 feet high, according to the soil and situa- 
tion, abounding with a turpentine of a strong 
disagreeable smell: it is found plentifully 
about Carthagena, in woods near the sea, 
and flowers in August. A. maritima, small, 
shrubby, sweet-wood, with leaves ternate, 
crenulated and obtuse. This is a’ dwarf 
shrub, yielding a juice like that of the for- 
mer, but more agreeable, and smelling like 
rue : the berry is of the size of black pep- 
per, black when ripe, inclosing a globular, 
brittle nut, in which is a white kernel, 
Swartz doubts whether the preceding be a 
distinct species from this. It grows in very 
barren coppices, in a calcareous rocky soil, 
both near the sea, and on the interior moun- 
tains of Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Cuba, and 
flowers from June to September. A. gilea- 
densis, balsam of Gilead tree,' with leaves 
ternate, quite entire, and peduncles one- 
flowered and lateral. This species is a 
shrub with purplish branches, having protu- 
berant buds loaded with balsamic rosin : the 
flowers proceed from the same buds by 
threes ; the bracte minute, and slightly bifid. 
It lias been doubted whether this be a dis- 
tinct species in itself. A. ambrosiaca, with 
leaves pinnate and petiolate, and panicles 
crowded and axillary. This is a tree, with 
a trunk 30 feet high, branching at the top, 
with branchlets leafy and flowery: leaves 
alternate, with two or three opposite, ovate 
leafets on each side, ending in long points, 
smooth, entire, on short petioles, gibbous 
at the base ; flowers yellowish white, axil- 
lary, and covymbed; perianth very small 
and four-toothed ; petals lanceolate, spread- 
ing at the tip ; filaments filiform, half as 
long as the calyx, inserted into the tube ; 
germ superior, subglobose, style cylindrical ; 
stigma capitated, depressed, and four-cor- 
■ MB ■ 
