Prunus cocomilia Ten.

A deciduous thorny bush or small tree, with glabrous shoots and oval or obovate leaves 11⁄2 to 2 in. long, 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 in. wide, finely toothed, nearly or quite glabrous. Flowers white, scarcely 1⁄2 in. wide, appearing towards the end of April on short stalks, mostly in pairs. Fruits yellow, well flavoured, of an oval or oblong form, 11⁄2 in. long, scarcely 1 in. wide, tapered at the apex. But little is known of this plum in this country. It was first described early in the 19th century by Tenore, an Italian botanist who made a special study of the flora about Naples, where the species grows wild in hedges, etc. It also grows wild in Sicily and the S. Balkans. The specific name has been variously spelled. The tree has litde to recommend it for gardens; it rarely bears fruit in this country.