288 PYRUS 



obovate, from i| to 3 ins. long, from f to 2 ins. wide ; usually short-pointed 

 at the apex, always tapering at the base, finely and regularly toothed ; the 

 upper surface dark polished green and smooth, except for dark glands on the 

 midrib ; lower surface paler, usually smooth except when quite young, but 

 occasionally downy throughout the season ; stalk in. or less long. Flowers 

 white, ^ to | in. across, produced towards the end of May in corymbs of six 

 to twelve blossoms ; calyx smooth or downy, with triangular lobes. Fruit 

 roundish, to ^ in. across, black. 



Native of Eastern N. America, and cultivated in England probably for 

 over two centuries. It is a close ally of P. arbutifolia, and with that species 

 forms the Aronia group of Pyrus, distinguished by an invariably truly shrubby 

 habit and by the dark glands on the upper side of the midrib. From 

 P. arbutifolia "it is easily distinguished, that species having red fruit and dull 

 leaves very woolly beneath. There is a form of P. melanocarpa which, 

 in the more or less downy under-surface of the leaf and in the vinous 

 red fruit approaches P. arbutifolia, but like the black-fruited, smooth-leaved 

 type its fruits fall as soon as ripe (in September), whereas those of P. arbuti- 

 folia persist until mid-winter. P. melanocarpa flowers freely, and is a bright 

 and pleasing shrub of neat habit. 



P. MlCHAUXI, Bosc. 



A small tree with unarmed branches forming a rounded head. Leaves 

 entire, ovate or oval-oblong, blunt at the apex, or with a short, abrupt point ; 

 up to 3 ins. long, i to \\ ins. wide ; covered when young with white, cottony 

 down, which afterwards falls away and leaves them shining and smooth above. 

 Flowers white, in very short corymbs. Fruit globose or top-shaped, greenish 

 yellow when ripe, spotted with brown. By some curious error this tree was 

 long regarded as a native of N. America ; but no true pear is indigenous to the 

 New World. It is probably from the Levant, and may be a hybrid between 

 P. amygdaliformis and P. nivalis. It differs from the former in its entire 

 leaves. 



P. NIEDZWETZKYANA, Hemsley. 



(Bot. Mag., t. 7975 ; Malus Niedzwetzkyana, Dieck.) 



A small tree of about the size and character of the ordinary apple ; young 

 bark reddish purple. Leaves 3 to 5 ins. long, 2 to i\ ins. wide ; ovate or oval, 

 round-toothed, downy all over the lower surface when young, afterwards on 

 the midrib only ; stalk downy, f to i\ ins. long. The stalk and midrib are 

 bright red, the blade also is of a decided red tinge when young, becoming 

 purplish later in the season. Flowers in apple-like clusters, deep red-purple, 

 i| ins. across ; flower-stalks tt to | in. long, and, like the calyx, covered with 

 whitish wool. Fruit conical^ with a few broad grooves running lengthwise ; 

 2 ins. long, of a deep vinous red. 



I do not think this tree can be considered anything more than a variety of 

 P. Malus. Some years ago five seedlings from it were raised at Kew, and 

 of these, three came as green in branch and leaf as the ordinary apple, and 

 the flowers were merely pink not the beautiful red which makes this one of 

 the most striking of its group. This would seem to show that it is only a 

 colour sport from P. Malus. It was introduced to cultivation by Dr Dieck, 

 of Zoeschen, in Germany, who states that it is abundant in S.W. Siberia and the 

 Caucasus. The fruit is not of high quality as we know apples, being, of rather 

 turnip-like consistency. So completely is the tree permeated with red 

 colouring matter that the young wood, when cut, shows red right through, 

 as does also the fruit Introduced to England in 1894. 



