82 MESP1LUS-MICHELIA 



about i in. across, white or slightly pink, produced on a very short woolly 

 stalk, in May or early June. Petals five, roundish ; sepals covered with 

 grey wool, triangular at the base, drawn out into a long, narrow point 

 standing out beyond the petals. Fruit five-celled, apple-shaped, brown, 

 with a broad open eye, surrounded by the persistent calyx, and showing 

 the ends of the bony seed-vessels. 



The wild medlar is a native of Europe and Asia Minor, and is found 

 wild in the woods of several counties in the south of England, notably 

 Sussex and Kent, but it is not believed to be truly indigenous. It has 

 long been cultivated for its fruit in English orchards, and several named 

 varieties exist. The cultivated forms are distinguished by thornless or 

 nearly thornless branches, by larger, broader leaves, and by larger fruits 

 up to i J or 2 ins. across. Although much esteemed by those who have 

 acquired the taste for them, medlars are not a popular fruit. They should 

 be left on the tree until the end of October or later, then stored in a fruit- 

 room until they are "bletted" a term given to indicate a state of incipient 

 decay. A jelly made . from the fruits meets a more general taste. The 

 medlar is most closely allied to Crataegus, differing in the solitary flower, 

 etc. It is very hardy, and not particular as to soil. 



METAPLEXIS STAUNTONI, Roemer. ASCLEPIADACE^E. 



(M. japonica, Makino.} 



A deciduous climber, with twining stems covered at first with more or 

 less loose down. Leaves opposite, heart-shaped, tapered to a point at 

 the apex, 2 to 4^ ins. long, half to two-thirds as wide near the base, 

 which is deeply notched ; somewhat downy on the midrib beneath, dull 

 green ; stalk i to 3 ins. long. Flowers produced from July to September 

 in racemes 3 to 5 ins. long, in but one of the axils of each pair of leaves ; 

 flower-stalk downy. The flowers are frequently crowded at the end of 

 the inflorescence as in an umbel. Corolla dull rosy white, about \ in. 

 diameter, with five reflexed lobes united into a bell-shaped base; the 

 lobes are narrow, curled back at the points, and covered with pale hairs 

 on the upper side. Seed-vessel 4 ins. long, spindle-shaped, the seeds 

 furnished at one end with a tuft of beautiful silky hairs ij ins. long. 



Native of China and Japan; introduced in 1862. It is not often seen 

 in gardens, but it flowers and has borne seed with Canon Ellacombe, at 

 Bitton, near Bristol. It usually dies back to the ground in winter in the 

 open. It is interesting, but not particularly attractive, being allied to 

 Marsdenia erecta, which has smaller leaves, sturdier stems, and more 

 rounded petals. 



MIC HE LI A COMPRESSA, Sargent. MAGNOLIACEyE. 



This is the only hardy species of a genus of trees closely allied to 

 Magnolia, but distinguished by the flowers being axillary, and the ovules 

 more numerous in each carpel. M. compressa is an evergreen tree, at 



