CHAPTER III. 



SHRUBS BELONGING TO THE ROSE FAMILY CHERRIES, 



BRAMBLES, ETC. 



SEVERAL important and interesting members of 

 the beautiful Rose family are always present in the 

 mass of shrubbery bordering the country highways 

 and byways, and these are best introduced in a com- 

 prehensive group which will aid us in tracing the 

 general family resemblance. 



I call the Rose family a beautiful one because it 

 not only includes the queen of flowers, but the fruit 

 trees, spiraeas, brambles, whitethorns, shad bush, 

 mountain ash, and Pyrus Japonica, nearly all of 

 which bear exceedingly handsome blossoms and 

 fruit. 



The distinguishing points of the family are these : 

 the leaves grow alternately on the branchlets; the 

 flowers are regular that is, they are uniform in 

 structure ; the petals and sepals are equal in number, 

 usually there are five of each, and the innumerable 



unconnected stamens are a prominent feature in the 



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