MALACEAE 133 



it occurs in suitable habitats throughout the entire northern 

 third of the state, and one rare report of it comes as far south 

 as Clark County. 



AMELANCHIER Medicus 

 Shadblow Serviceberry Shadbush 



The shadblows are shrubs or trees with alternate, simple, 

 petioled leaves that may be either serrate or entire. The un- 

 armed branches bear racemose or, rarely, solitary, white flow- 

 ers, which have bell-shaped calyx tubes more or less adnate to 

 the ovary, 5 narrow, reflexed, persistent sepals, 5 petals, and 

 many stamens. The 2 to 5 styles are united at least at the 

 base, where they are also pubescent. The at least partly in- 

 ferior ovary has twice as many cavities as there are styles, and 

 1 ovule in each cavity. The hoary, gray pome is hollow, very 

 light, and 4- to 10-celled. 



The shadbushes, a group of about 25 species, are all north 

 temperate zone plants. Perhaps 18 or 19 are natives of North 

 America, where they are well known because of their beauty 

 and because of legends regarding them in the New England 

 states. Only the following occurs in Illinois. 



AMELANCHIER HUMILIS VViegand 



Low Shadblow Low Shadbush 



The Low Shadblow, fig. 30, is an erect shrub with stems 

 16 inches to nearly 5 feet high, which arise from stolons. The 

 branchlets are generally pubescent at first but become smooth 

 and reddish brown by the end of the season. They bear broad, 

 oval or oval-oblong leaves, 2 to 4 inches long by ^ to 2 inches 

 wide, which are rounded at the apex or sometimes subacute, 

 and mostly rounded or subcordate at the base. The margins 

 are coarsely and somewhat irregularly dentate to the middle 

 or lower, leaving the basal part entire or very shallowly toothed. 

 The teeth often are double. When young, the leaves are folded 

 together and slightly pubescent above, but at length become dark 

 green. They are densely tomentose beneath when first unfolded 

 but become glabrous at maturity. The 7 to 13 pairs of veins 

 are conspicuous above and beneath. At maturity, the petioles, 

 \/i to y^ inch long, are pubescent at least above. 



