Leaves folded upward, obovate or oval, one and seven-eighths inches wide, three and one-quarter inches long; upper surface dark green, with few hairs and with a grooved midrib; lower surface pubescent; apex obtuse to acute, base acute, margin serrate, with small, brown glands; petiole five-eighths inch long, slender, pubescent, reddish, with from one to four small, globose or reniform, greenish-yellow glands on the stalk or base of the leaf.
Blooming season early or medium, short; flowers appearing after the leaves, one inch across, the buds yellow-tipped changing to white on expanding; borne on lateral spurs, in pairs; pedicels five-eighths inch long, somewhat slender, pubescent, green; calyx-tube greenish, campanulate, pubescent; calyx-lobes broad, obtuse, pubescent on both surfaces, glandular-serrate, reflexed; petals broadly oval or roundish, entire or slightly crenate, tapering to short, broad claws; anthers roundish, yellow; filaments five-sixteenths inch in length; pistil lightly pubescent at the base, longer than the stamens.
Fruit mid-season, ripening period short; one and seven-eighths inches by one and three-quarters inches in size, oval, slightly necked, swollen on the ventral side, compressed; cavity very narrow and abrupt; suture shallow, often a line; apex roundish or pointed; color deep reddish-purple changing to dark purplish-black at full maturity, with thick bloom; dots numerous, small, russet, inconspicuous; stem slender, one inch long, finely pubescent, adhering well to the fruit; skin thin, rather sour, separating readily; flesh pale or golden-yellow, sometimes with a faint red tinge next the skin, not juicy, coarse, firm but rather tender, mild subacid to nearly sweet, not high in flavor; of fair quality; stone with a trace of red, semi-clinging, one and one-eighth inches by five-eighths inch in size, long-oval, necked at the base, abruptly sharp-pointed at the apex, with pitted surfaces; ventral suture rather broad, lightly furrowed; dorsal suture widely grooved.
DOUBLE FLOWERING GAGE
Prunus domestica
1. Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:92. 1768. 2. Knoop Fructologie 57. 1771. 3. Kraft Pom. Aust. 2:32, Tab. 179 fig. 2. 1796. 4. Prince Pom. Man. 2:49. 1832. 5. Mag. Hort. 9:165. 1843. 6. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 316. 1845. 7. Poiteau Pom. Franc. 1:1846. 8. Mas Pom. Gen. 2:47. 1873. 9. Guide Prat. 163, 363. 1895.
Die grosse Königin Klaudia Pflaume mit halbgefullter Bluthe 3. Dauphin à Fleurs semi-doubles 5. Dauphin à Fleurs doubles 5. Dauphin à fleurs semi-doubles 5. Double-blossomed 5. Double-blossomed Plum 6. Gelbe Reneclode Mit Gefullter Bluthe 8. Prune à Fleurs Doubles 8. Prunier à fleurs semi-double 8. Prunier à fleur semi-double 1, 7. Prune à Fleurs Doubles 2. Prunier à fleur semi-double 4. Prune Semi-double 4. Prune à fleurs semi-double 4. Reine-Claude Semi-Double 8. Reine-Claude à fleur semi-double 4. Reine-Claude à Fleurs Semi-double 5, 9. Reine-Claude mit Halbgefullter Bluthe 9. Semi-double flowering Reine Claude 4.
This is an ornamental variety of the Reine Claude type first noted by Duhamel in 1768. It was probably well known in Europe at this time for a little later it was mentioned by Knoop of Holland and Kraft of Austria. Duhamel described two varieties; one with small fruit which was insipid when over-ripe, and the other large and of good flavor. In 1846, Poiteau thought the latter was probably identical with a variety growing at Luxembourg but he did not think the former was extant. In the third edition of the London Horticultural Society’s catalog, yellow and purple forms were mentioned, showing that the variety has been represented by more than one type. It is worthy of note that the double blossoms, except in strong soils, are apt to degenerate and become single. The following description is compiled.
Tree irregular and spreading, unproductive; branches brown on the shaded side and blood-red on the sunny side; flowers large, semi-double, with from twelve to eighteen petals; fruit mid-season; large, spherical; suture shallow, sometimes a line; flesh greenish-yellow, tender, soft, juicy, sweet, agreeably aromatic; clingstone.