PYRACANTHA PYRUS 269 



fruits of a more yellowish red, or orange. There is a white-fruited form 

 (FRUCTU-ALlio) ; and one described as dwarf and of spreading, close-branched 

 habit, bearing fruit sparsely (PAUCI FLORA, Dippcl}. I have not seen the former. 



P. CRENULATA, Roemer. NEPALESE WHITE THORN. 



(Crataegus crenulata, Roxburgh; Bot. Reg., vol. 30, t. 52.) 



Nearly allied to the common pyracanth (P. coccinea), this differs chiefly in 

 the leaves being rounded instead of tapered and pointed at the apex, and in 

 the smaller flowers and fruit The leaves are ultimately quite smooth, narrow- 

 oblong or obovate, up to i\ ins. long, in. wide, rounded, but with a short 

 bristle-tip. The styles differ from those of P. coccinea in being more separated 

 at the base. Fruit orange-yellow. It is a large, more or less thorny bush, 

 and can scarcely be regarded as more than a variety of P. coccinea. It is, 

 however, much slower in growth and more tender. Being quite inferior to the 

 European pyracanth, it is rarely seen in cultivation. It needs a south wall. 

 Native of Temperate Himalaya. Plants raised from recently introduced W. 

 Chinese seed may prove hardier, and seem to differ in the leaves being nearly 

 always entire. Mr Forrest has also recently collected a Pyracantha in W. 

 China with reddish young twigs and small leaves (about i in. long) which 

 seems to be a distinct species. 



PYRUS. ROSACES (POMACE^;). 



The more recent monographers of the Pomaceae (the tribe of the rose 

 family which includes the pears, apples, whitebeams, etc.) mostly concur 

 in restoring the older genera, such as Pyrus (proper), Malus, Sorbus, etc., 

 which were united by Bentham and Hooker in their Genera Plantarum. 

 Although this course has many justifications (for one can scarcely regard 

 the mountain ash, for instance, as having much in common with the 

 pear), I have thought it best to retain the generic term PYRUS for all the 

 sections except Mespilus and Cydonia. Any other course would create 

 much confusion in this country, where over forty years' recognition of 

 Bentham and Hooker's work has given the term Pyrus, as interpreted 

 by them, a general acceptance in gardens and nurseries. This course 

 has the further convenience of providing a common name for the 

 numerous hybrids between the different groups, and thus avoiding the 

 use of such newly concocted names as "Sorbopyrus," "Sorbaronia," 

 etc. For the purpose of helping towards the identification of the species 

 a definition of each section is given below. All the species are deciduous 

 and have alternate leaves. 



All the Pyruses like a loamy soil, and most of them thrive on one of 

 a calcareous nature. The propagation of the various group is discussed 

 under each, but it may be mentioned here that the pips germinate more 

 quickly if taken from the fruit as soon as ripe and sown at once, than if 

 collected in packets and dried. 



I. PYRUS PROPER (PYROPHORUM). PEARS. 



Trees with simple leaves and top-shaped or globose fruits rarely 

 indented at the junction with the stalk. Styles free. None of this 



