PRUNUS GRAVESII n. sp.
A low, unarmed shrub; stems erect or ascending, reaching a maximum height of 12 dm., much branched, clothed with a dark rough bark, leafless like the ascending branches; twigs and branchlets less leafy, usually puberulent ; leaves orbicular or oval orbicular, varying towards orbicular-obovate, 2-4 cm. long, rounded or retuse and apiculate at the apex, sharply serrate or those of the shoots crenate-serrate, abruptly narrowed, rounded or truncate at the base, sparingly pubescent or glabrate above, more pubes cent beneath, especially on the nerves; flowers pure white, 1-3 cm. broad, solitary or 2-3 together, scattered on the twigs near the top of the shrub; pedicels stiff, stout, 6-to mm. long,
pubescent; calyx pubescent like the pedicels, the tube campanu late, the segments oblong, as long as the tube ; petals sub-orbi cular, about 5 mm. in diameter, abruptly narrowed at the base ; drupe globose, solitary, 10-15 mm. in diameter, usually 12.5-13 mm. in diameter, deep purple or almost black with an abundant light blue bloom, bitter and slightly astringent; stone broadly oval, broadly crested, 7.5-9 mm. long, 7-8 mm. broad and 6-6.5 mm. thick, very turgid on one side, acute at the base, rounded at the apex.
In the year 1895 the species flowered during the last week of May and matured its fruit the first week of September.