Tas. 8184. 
PYRUS ARIA, var. MAJESTICA. 
Garden Origin? 
RosaceaE. Tribe PoMEAR, 
Pyrus, Linn.; Benth. et Hook. f. Gen, Plant. vol. i. p. 626. 
Pyrus (Sorbus) Aria, Hhrh., var. majestica; varietas ab aliis varietatibus 
speciei aliquanto variabilis foliis floribusque majoribus distinguenda. 
Arbor erecta ramis ascendentibus, 10-15 m. alta; cortex primo tomento pallido 
obsitus, cito tamen glabrescens, demum glaber, nitidus, fuscus. Folia 
decidua, ovata vel elliptica vel obovata, 8-18 em. longa, 4-9 em. lata, apice 
obtusata, margine inordinaliter duplicato-serrata, supra primo floccosa 
demum glabra, nitida, intense viridia, subtus dense albo-tomentosa, nervi 
prominuli plus minusve paralleli. F/ores 2 cm. lati, in corymbos terminales 
axillaresque aggregati; corymbi plani, 8-10 cm. lati; pedicelli lanali; 
bracteae subulatae, cito deciduae. Ca/yx campanulatus, 5-lobus; limbus 
1 cm. latus; lobi trianguli, persistentes. Pefala patentia, subconcava, 
ovato-orbicularia, albida. Stamina stylos excedentia. Stylus basi lanatus. 
Poma in corymbos laxiusculos demum nutantes disposita, globosa, 
1-25 cm. lata, matura intense rubra.—/. /anata, Hort. non D. Don. 
P. Decaisneana, Nichols. in Kew Hand-list of Trees and Shrubs, ed. 1, 
p. 187. Aria majestica, Lavall. in Arb. Seg. Enum. p. 98. A, Decaisneana, 
Lavall. l.c. Icon. t.18. Sorbus Aria, Crantz, var. majestica, Zabel in Beissner, 
Handb. der Laubholz Benennung, p. 198.—D. Prary. 
There is no more characteristic tree on the chalk hills of 
west and south Britain than the Whitebeam, Pyrus Aria. 
Its flowers are attractive and its fruits are especially so, but 
its beauty and distinctness are never greater than when 
the wind, by lifting the branches, reveals the white under- 
surface of the leaves. Pyrus Aria is only surpassed in this 
respect among British trees by the Abele, Populus alba. 
As here, and as generally limited, Pyrus Aria includes 
numerous varieties, some of which are so distinct as to be 
regarded by some authors as separate species. The one repre- 
sented in our plate is, perhaps, the most ornamental of 
them all; its leaves, corymbs and fruits are larger than in 
any other variety. 
The origin of this fine variety is unknown. The state- 
ment that it is a native of Nepal appears to be without 
Maron, 1908, 
