] I 841
P R UNUS infititia.
Wild Bullace-tree.
1 CO S A ND R. IA Monogynia,
G en. Char. Cal. 5-cleft, inferior. Pet. 5. Stone o f
the drupa with flightly prominent feams.
Spec. Char. Flower-ftalks in pairs. Leaves lanceolate
ovate, revolute when young, downy beneath.
Branches ending in a fpine.
Syn. Prunus infititia. Linn. Sp. Pi. 680. Sm. FI.
Brit. $28. With. 456. Hull. 108. Relb. 188.
Sibth. 154. Abbot. 107.
P. fylveftris major. Rail Syn. 462.
r p
-C O U N D not unfrequently in hedges and woody places,
growing to the fize of a fmall tree, and covered with blofioms
in April, when the leaves are beginning to expand.
The branches fpread in various directions, and are round,
ftiff, clothed with a reddifti rather glaucous bark, and terminating
for the moft part in a ftrong {harp thorn. Leaves alternate,
on footftalks, ovate, tapering toward each end, fer-
rated, veiny, downy beneath, coming forth at firft with the
edges coiled backward, not folded flatly together. Scales of
the buds imbricated, concave, entire, brown, the innermoft
fringed, and greenilh. Flowers from different buds, in pairs,
on Ample fhortifh {talks. Calyx fmooth, entire, but little
Spreading. Petals obovate, large, white. Stamina numerous.
Stigma capitate. Fruit globular, black with a blue bloom, four
and auftere, fcarcely eatable in a crude ftate.
The more grateful white bullace differs from this only as the
white currant or white elder differ from the common wild
kinds of each. The red auftere plum, mentioned by Ray as
growing in Eflex, muft have been either a variety of this, or
fome ftray plant o f the garden P. domejlica.
JP e i. / . t& o f. J 'zA fifteA 2>j> J a i Sm erlry. Aamdens.