Pyrus cydonia, 

 Cydonia vulgaris, 



Cydonia vulgaris, 

 THE COMMON QUINCE-TREE. 



Synonymes. 



LiNNJEus, Species Plantarum. 



IDe Candolle, Prodromus. 

 Don, Miller's Dictionary. 

 Loudon, Arboretum Britannicum. 

 Coignassier, Coigner, Coignier, Coudounier, France. 

 Quittenbaum, Germany. 



Cotogno, Melo cotogno, Fero cotogno, Italy. 



Membrillo, MembriUero, Spain. 



Manneleiro, Portugal. 



Armud, Russia. 



Quince-tree, Quince Bush, Britain and Anglo- America. 



Engravings. Lindley, Pomologia Britannica ; Loudon, Arboretum Britannicum, vl., pi. 183 ; and the figures below. 



Specific Characters. Leaves ovate, obtuse at the base, entire, tomentose beneath. Calyx tomentose ; Its 

 lobes serrulated, and a little leafy. Stamens in one row. Z>e Candolle, Prodromus. 



Description. 



HE Common Quince is a 

 low tree, seldom exceed- 

 ing fifteen or twenty feet 

 ^^^i i height, with a crooked 

 stem, and tortuous, rambling branches. The bark 

 is smooth and brown, approaching to black. The 

 leaves are roundish or ovate; dusky-green above, 

 and whitish underneath. The flowers, which put 

 forth in England by the middle of April, and in the 

 middle and northern parts of the United States, in 

 May and June, are large, with the petals pale-red or 

 white, and the sepals of the same length as the petals. The flowers are suc- 

 ceeded by large fruit of a globular, oblong, or pear-shaped form, of a rich yellow 

 or orange-colour, when ripe, of an austere taste, and emitting a peculiar and 

 rather pleasant smell. 



Varielies. In nursery catalogues, and also in botanical works generally, there 

 are designated five or more varieties of this species ; but Mr. Thompson of the 

 London Horticultural Society's garden, has judiciously remarked that there are, 

 in reality, only the three following : 



1. C. v. PYRiFORMis. Pear-shaped Quince; Coignassier pyriforme, of the 

 French, which may be considered as the normal form of the species. For orna- 

 mental purposes, this variety, and the apple-shaped quince, are much to be pre- 

 ferred to the Portugal quince. 



2. C. V. MALiFORMis. AppU-shaped Quince ; Coignassier d fruit pomiforme, 

 Coignassier male, of the French. This variety requires to be continued by 

 extension ; because it is found that seedling plants of both this and the preceding 

 variety are not quite true to their kinds. They most frequently produce pear- 

 shaped fruit. 



3. C. v. LusiT.\Nic.\. Lnsitanian or Portugal Quince ; Coignassier de Por- 

 tugal, of the French. This variety has broader leaves, and larger fruit, than the 



