875 



Mr. A. Woeikoff, Director, Experimental Garden of the 

 Cholray School of Horticulture. "A deciduous bush or small 

 tree; leaves ovate, the apex long drawn-out, two to three 

 and one half inches long, half as wide, reddish at first, 

 then bright green and smooth above with axil tufts of down 

 beneath; stalk one-half to one inch long. Flowers mostly 

 solitary, white or pink. Fruits scarcely stalked, about 

 one inch long, yellov/ except on the sunny side, covered 

 with a velvety skin; the flesh scanty, dry, harsh and 

 scarcely edible; kernel of nut with an almond-like, bitter 

 taste. Na.tive of the mountains of southern Siberia, where, 

 according to Pallas, the Russian botanist, some mountain- 

 sides are covered with its pink blossoms in May , when the 

 northern sides are purple with Rhododendron dauricum. Al- 

 though an old tree in gardens (it was cultivated at Kew one 

 hundred years ago), and still offered for sale by conti- 

 nental dealers, it 1s scarcely known in England nowadays. 

 So far as I have seen, it has very little to recommend it 

 for gardens, being of about the same value as the wild 

 apricot, to which it is very closely allied. Its- leaves 

 have usually much more elongated points." (W. J. Bean, 

 Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles, vol . 2 ,p. 253. ) 



Pyrus salicifolia Pallas . (Malaceae .) 40497. Seeds of the 

 willow-leaved pear from Novospasskoe, Russia. Presented 

 by Mr. A. Woeikoff, Director, Experimental Garden of the 

 Cholmy School of Horticulture. "A tree 15 to 25 feet 

 high, branchlets covered with down which is quite white 

 when young. Leaves 1-g- to 3-^ inches long, 1/3 to 2/3 

 inches wide, narrowly lanceolate, tapering gradually 

 towards both ends, covered when young on both sides with a 

 beautiful silvery grey down; later in the year this falls 

 away from the upper surface, leaving it shining green; 

 margins quite entire; stalk one-half inch long or less, 

 sometimes scarcely noticeable. Flowers pure white, about 

 three-fourths inch across, produced in April, closely pack- 

 ed in small rounded corymbs, the calyx and flower-stalk 

 covered with white wool. Fruit of the typical pear-shape, 

 one to 1; inches long and wide. Native of southeastern 

 Europe and Asia Minor. It is much the most ornamental 

 of all true pears. Its leaves and flowers often open 

 simultaneously, and it then presents a very charming pic- 

 ture, the willow-like leaves being of a conspicuous silky 

 white. After the flowers fade, the leaves remain silvery 

 for some weeks, gradually, however, becoming greener on 

 the upper surface. The fruit is harsh to the palate and 

 of no value." (W. J. Bean, Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the 

 , : British Isles, vol.2, p. 292-293.) 



