74 THE PEARS OF NEW YORK 



Jardin Strasbourg 323. 1807) is a spiny shrub or small tree, bearing small 

 worthless fruits; a native of arid soils in the regions of olives in southern 

 Europe. P. salicijolia Pallas (//. 3: 734- J 776) is a small spiny tree 

 from the Crimea, Caucasas, and Armenia; the fruit has little or no value. 

 P. syriaca Boissier (Diag. Nov. PL Orient 10:1. 1849) is a thorny, shrubby 

 tree from Syria, Asia Minor, and Kurdistan. 



A review of botanical literature shows several other names of doubt- 

 ful species of Pyrus which seem more likely to be hybrids or abnormal 

 escapes from orchards. There are, also, many names which seem to be 

 synonyms. Material and literature at hand do not enable the author to 

 make certain of these, even if any sufficiently worthy purpose could be 

 served in a pomological text. 



ORIENTAL PEARS 



The oriental pears have been brought to America in comparatively 

 recent years, chiefly as ornamentals and for blight-resistant stocks; but 

 hybrids of at least one species of this group, P. serotina, with the common 

 pear have given many valuable orchard varieties. The Chinese and Japan- 

 ese cultivate several species for their fruits. These pears constitute a group 

 quite distinct in aspect of tree and fruit, but no characters not in occidental 

 species are found in all species of the oriental group. The most constant 

 differences, besides region of origin, are found in the leaves and the calyx. 

 The leaves in most species are markedly acuminate and their margins 

 are sharp-serate or setose-serrate. The calyx falls from the fruit in the 

 species now cultivated for food, but does not in two species promising for 

 stocks. 



4. PYRUS SEROTINA Rehder 

 I. Rehder Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts & Sci. 50:213. 1915. 



Tree vigorous, upright, attaining a height of 20 to 50 ft., the branches becoming 

 glabrous. Leaves ovate-oblong, sometimes ovate, 3 to 5 in. long, rounded at the base 

 and rarely subcordate or cuneate, long- acuminate, sharply setose-serrate, with partially 

 appressed seratures; when young, villous, or lower surface cobwebby, but becoming glabrous. 

 Flowers white, borne in 6 to 9 flowered umbellate-racemose clusters ; glabrous or somewhat 

 tomentose and borne on slender pedicels; calyx-lobes triangular-ovate and long-acuminate, 

 J to in. long, glandulose-denticulate ; petals oval, short-clawed, f in. long; stamens about 

 20; styles 4 or 5, glabrous. Fruit sub-globose, russet-brown; stalk slender; calyx 

 deciduous. 



This oriental pear has been referred to P. sinensis Lindley (not Poiret) 

 by botanists and horticulturists since its introduction in Europe nearly 



