THE HAWTHORN AND ITS VARIETIES. 137 



discovered accidentally ; and tlieir number is accounted for by the fact 

 of more plants of the hawthorn being raised from seed than of any other 

 tree, from the great length of time that the hawthorn lias been used for 

 a hedge plant. There is a double white blossomed kind very handsome. 

 The new crimson and scarlet, too, are very splendid and showy. 



The cockspur thorn is a noble species, and it has some singular 

 varieties. One of these, C. crus-galli salicifolia, has aflat head, spread- 

 ing like a miniature cedar of Lebanon. A dwarf sub-variety of this, 

 which does not grow more than five feet high, is well adapted for 

 planting in children's gardens. C. coccinea, or the scarlet-fruited 

 thorn, C. glandulosa, and C. punctata, are all well worth growing in a 

 shrubbery, or on a lawn ; and when seen together, they will be found 

 very distinct. 



The principal large- fruited thorns are Crataegus azarolus, C, aronia, 

 C. orientalis, or odoratissima, and C. tanacetifolia. These plants are 

 all late in flowering, seldom expanding even their leaves till the latter 

 end of ]\Iay or beginning of June, and being sometimes much later. 

 The fruit of all of them is not only eatable, but very good. C. orien- 

 talis and C. tanacetifolia have both whitish leaves ; the fruit of the first 

 is of a brilliant coral colour, and of the latter yellow. There is a 

 variety of the first species, with fruit of a port-wine colour ; and Lee's 

 seedling variety of the latter is one of the handsomest plants of the 

 genus. Notwithstanding the resemblance of the leaves, these two 

 species are easily distinguished, not only by the colour of the fruit, but 

 by their habits of growth ; C. orientalis being a handsome spreading 

 tree, and C. tanacetifolia upright growing. 



One of the late flowering varieties is C. parviflora, which does not 

 flower till late in June, and which bears pear-sliaped green fruit. The 

 leaves of this species and its varieties, and of C. virginica, are very 

 small, C. cordata is tlie latest flowering of all the kinds, as it rarely 

 produces its flowers before the middle of July. There are many other 

 species, and among others C. microcarpa, with its brilliant bright 

 scarlet fruit, and C. mexicana, with its large yellow fruit, looking like 

 golden pippin apples ; but we have said enough to show what orna- 

 mental plants the thorns are, not only in their flowers, but in their fruit. 

 Crataegus, or mespilus pyracantha, may be added to the above, as it is 

 a very ornamental shrub, not only from its evergreen leaves, but from 

 its brilliant scarlet berries, which are so abundant as to occasion the 

 French to call it buisson ardent. In short, every tree belonging to the 

 genus is worth growing; and I am glad to see that in the " Arboretum 

 Britannicum," and Dr. Lindley, too, in the " Botanical Register," have 

 contrived within the last two or three years to bring ornamental thorns 

 into fashion. I am confident that they cannot recommend them beyond 

 merit, whether as grouped along with other showy blooming trees, or 

 when standing upon the grass lawn. 



The Amelanchiers, the conmionest species of which is well known 

 under the name of the snowy JNIespilus ; the Coteneasters, with their 

 coral berries ; the ornamental kinds of Pyrus, including the mountain 

 ash, the Siberian crab, the garland flowering apple-tree, and showy 

 Chinese crab-tree ; the I'hotinia serrulata, with its large showy bunches 

 of flowers, and beautifully-tinted leaves in spring and autunm ; the 

 Vol. XV. No. C.—N.S. M 



