296 PYRUS 



across, produced in May in panicles at the end of short branches and 

 from the leaf-axils, the whole forming a rounded or rather pyramidal cluster 

 -2\ to 4 ins. wide. Calyx and flower-stalks downy. Fruit pear-shaped or 

 apple-shaped, i to I \ ins. long, green or brown tinged with red on the sunny 

 side. 



Native of S. and E. Europe. As an ornamental tree this is inferior to its 

 ally, the mountain ash, but is well worth growing for the beauty of its foliage, 

 and for its flowers, which are larger than usual in this group of Pyrus. It 

 also attains to greater dimensions than any of its immediate allies. The 

 largest tree whose dimensions are recorded by Elwes is growing at Wood- 

 stock, Kilkenny, Ireland, which in 1904 was 77 ft. high and 10 ft. 8 ins. 

 in girth. 



The most famous of all British service trees was one which grew for some 

 hundreds of years in Wyre Forest, in Worcestershire. The story of this tree 

 was told by Mr Robert Woodward, jun., in the Gardeners' Chronicle, April- 13, 

 1907. It was first noted by one Edmund Pitt, in 1678, and was mentioned 

 and discussed by various writers up to 1862, when it was set on fire and killed 

 by a vagrant. This tree was considered to be an old one by Pitt in 1678, and 

 there appears to be little doubt that the species lives for five or six hundred 

 years. The Wyre Forest tree is the only one which gives the species any 

 claim to rank as a British tree, for it has never been found truly wild' else where. 

 A few of its descendants live, the finest being at Arley Castle, now nearly 

 60 ft. high. 



The fruit of the service tree is sometimes eaten in a state of incipient 

 decay, especially in France, although Loudon observes that it is not highly 

 prized, and is more frequently eaten by the poor than the rich. On the other 

 hand Mr E. Burrell, late gardener to H.R.H. the Duchess of Albany at 

 Claremont, in a letter dated Nov. n, 1883, observes that "we are sending 

 good fruits of the pear-shaped service for dessert at the present time." This 

 Claremont tree was blown down in 1902, and was then close upon 70 ft. high. 

 The timber is of fine quality, being very hard and heavy, but too scarce to 

 count for much. 



The form with pear-shaped fruit, which appears to make the finest tree, 

 is distinguished as var. PYRIFORMIS ; the other, with apple-shaped fruit, as 

 var. MALI FOR MIS. Both are easily distinguished at any time from the 

 mountain ash by the rough scaling bark ; in autumn by the big fruits ; and in 

 winter by the glutinous, not very downy buds. The service tree should be 

 raised from seed. 



P. SPECTABILIS, Alton. 

 (Bot. Mag., t. 267 ; Malus spectabilis, Borkhausen.} 



A tree rarely more than 30 ft. high, forming a rounded head of branches 

 often as wide as high ; young twigs downy. Leaves oval or obovate to almost 

 round, 2 to 3^ ins. long, up to 2 ins. in width ; toothed, shortly and abruptly 

 pointed, tapering or rounded at the base ; glossy green and smooth above, 

 downy when young beneath, becoming almost or quite smooth by autumn ; 

 stalk j to i in. long. Flowers deep rosy red in the bud state, paling to a 

 blush tint when fully open, and then nearly 2 ins. across ; they are borne each 

 on a downy stalk f to i j ins. long, in umbels six or eight together ; petals 

 normally five, but in var. FLORE PLENO up to ten ; calyx and flower-stalk 

 downy. Fruit globose, yellow, f to i in. wide, bitter and harsh; calyx persist- 

 ing at the top. 



Native of N. China. The date of its introduction is not known, but it was 

 cultivated by Dr Fothergill in 1780. One of the most beautiful of all the 

 Malus group in its flowers, this has no beauty in its fruit. . It flowers almost 

 invariably in great profusion from the middle of April to the second week of 



