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Show 452 The Hi.flory of P L A N T S. AMY G D A L US. T HE calyx is a deciduous perianthium, formed of a fingle leaf, of a tabulated figure, divided into five obtufe, patent fegments : the corolla confifls of five petals, of an oblong, oval figure, obtufe, hollow, and inferted into the calyx: the !lamina are thirty filiform, eretl: filaments, fhorter than the corolla, and inferted into the calyx: the antherre are fimple: .the germe~ is ro~ndifl: and villofe: t?e. fiyle is fimple, and o.f the length . of the ~am1.na : the ihgma IS capt.tated : the frmt IS a great hairy, roundilh drupe, with a longttudmal furrow : the feed IS an oval, compreffed nut, with the futures prominent on each fide, with reticulated furrows, and puntl:ated with holes. This genus comprehends the Amygdalus and the Perfica of authors. The Amyg-dalus has the fi·uit dry and coriaceous; the Per fica has it foft and pulpy. 1. Amygdalus foliis petiolatis, ferraturis infimis glandulojis. The Amygdalus, with petiolated leaves, and the lower ferratures glandulous. 1tlle ~lntonn:= tree. The roots are brac:hiated, la.rge, and fpreading, The trunk is moderately large; the tree twenty or thtrty feet h1gh. The leaves are long, narrow, pointed at the extremities, and ferrated about the edges. The flowers are moderately large, and beautiful; they are of a pale flelh colour. The fruit is an inch long, and the fione nearly of it's whole fize, fomewhat compreffed, and contains an oblong, compreffed kernel which is the Almond. ' It is a native of Africa, but is now common throughout Europe. The Bitter AJ .. ~ond is the produce of the fame fpecies ~ith the fweet. Authors difiinguifh them, mdeed, by the names of Amygdalus duk1s, and Amygdalus amara; but there is no difiintl:ion, except in the tafie of the kernel. The oi~ of the bitte~ Almond is ~weet, and much more frequent than that of the other, bemg almofi umverfally fold m the !hops under it's name, 2. Amygdalus foliorum Jerraturis omnibus acutis. 7he Amygdalus, with all the ferratures of the leaves acute. Jrbe ~tncb~ tree. The root is brachiated and fpre~ding. The trunk grows to five inches in diameter; the branc~es are very long ~nd fprea~mg, and the tree, when a fiandard, will rife to twenty feet htgh. The bark IS a reddtfh-brown, and fmooth; the wood firm and reddifh. The leaves. are. long, and fomewhat broad, of a gloffy green, ferrated about the edges, and of a btttenlh tafie. The flowers are of a pale red ; the fruit large and fucculent, and the fione large. · It is a native of Perfia, and is thence called Malus Perfica by authors A fyrup of the flowers is a gentle emetic. ' Authors have made many imaginary fpecies of the Peach-tree from the fliaht differences o~ the fi·uit ~ but thefe are mere varieties. The only really lill.intl: fpecie~ we have to mentiOn of thts genus, befide the two already defcribed, are, 1. The dwarf, Indian Almond; and, 2. The dwarf, African Peach. P RUN US. THE calyx is a deciduous perianthium, compofed of a fingle leaf of a campanu-lated form, and divided into five obtufe, hollow, reflex fegme~ts, even at the edges:. the corolla confifis o.f five large, roundi01, hollowed, emarginated petals, inferted mto the calyx by their ungues, and patent: the fiamina are about twenty-five filaments, of a fubulated figur.e, nearly of the length of the corolla, and inferred into the calyx.: t~e antherre are dtdymous and lhort : the germen is roundin1 anci entire : t?e fiyle IS fi~tf~rm, and of the length of the fiamina: the fiigma is orbiculated and enure : the frmt IS a roundi{h drupe, with a longitudinal furrow : the feed is a roundilh, compreffed, acute nut, with the futures ftanding out each way in an edge. This The Hiflory of P L A N T s~ 453 This genus comprehends the Prunus and Armeniaca, the Plum and the Apricot of authors. 1. Prunus folt'is lanceolato-ovatis. The Prunus, with lanceolato-oval leaves. 3tbt conunon ~tunt4ree:. The root is brachiated and fpreading. The tree grows to a confiderable height. The leaves are oblong, broad, approaching to an oval figure, but pointed at the end, of a dark green colour, and ferrated at the edges. The flowers are large, and white. The fruit is naturally large, blackifh, and it's pulp of a fweet tafie. It is a native of moft parts of Europe, and has been fo altered by culture, as to produce a vail: variety in it's fruit; whence authors have made many new fpecies, on a very bad foundation. Authors call this native fiate of the tree Prunus, Prunus domefiica, and Prunus frutl:u magno dulci atro creruleo. The Prunes of the !hops are the fruit of this dried. 2. Prunus Joliis ovatis cordatis. The Prunus, with cordated, ova/leaves. 3rbt ~p~t:==. cot::;trce. The root is large and fpreading. The tree grows to thirty feet, or more, in height, and it's trunk to a confiderable thicknefs. The leaves are of a roundi{h figure, approaching to oval, cordated at the bafe, and ferrated round the edges. The flowers are large, beautiful, and of a pale red colour. The fruit is large, and it's pulp fweet. Culture makes a great variation in the fruit of this tree, and thofe who make diftintl: fpecies of the great and little, the red, the black, and the yellow Plums, have made as many alfo of the Apricots. All this, however, is erroneous; thefe are varieties, not fpecies. The Apricot-tree is a native of Armenia. 3· Prunus fpino.fa foliis lanceolatis. The Jpinqfe Prunus, with lanceolated leaves. The root is fpreading ; the fhrub low; it's bark blacki01. The leaves are of a figure approaching to oval, but pointed at the extremities, and ferrated. The flowers are fmall and white; the fruit fmall, round, and of a bluilh- black colour. It is common in our hedges. It's fruit is afiringent, and an infpiffated juice of it is called the German Acacia, and ufed in the place of the true Succus Acacire. The reader will eafily be convinced that a differtation on the variety of Plums and Apricots would be the bufinefs of a writer on gardening, not on Botany. Linnreus has included, in fome of his latefi works, the Cerafus and Padus, in this genus of Prunus, but the figure and firutl.ure of the fruit, &c. forbid our affent to this. CERASUS. T HE calyx is a deciduous perianthium, formed of a fingle leaf, of a campanulated figure, lightly divided into five obtufe, hollow, ferrated, and reflex fegments: the corolla confiHs of five hollow, roundifh, large, emarginated patent petals, inferted into the calyx: the ftamina are about thirty fubulatcd filaments; they are nearly of the length of the corolla, and are inferted into the calyx : the antherre arc didymous and ihort : the germen is roundilh, and has a longitudinal furrow in it: the fiyle is filiform, and of the length of the fiamina: the fiigma is orbiculated, and emarginated on one fide: the fruit is a drupe, of a fubglobofe figure, with a longitudinal furrow : the feed is a nut, of a fubglobofe figure, with the inferior future rifing into a little edge. 1. Cerafus foliis ovato-lanceolatis. The Cerafus, with ovato-lanceolate leaves. 1tbt men ~btttp::;trce. The root is brachiated and large. The tree grows to a moderate fize, and fpreads out greatly in branches, The leaves are oblong, ferrated, and pointed at the extremities. The flowers are large and white ; the fruit is naturally round, large, and 5 Z red. |