CL. XII.] ICOSANDKIA PENTAGYNIA. 215 



PENTAGYNIA. 



2. ME'SPILUS. MEDLAR-HAWTHORN. 



Calyx superior, of one leaf, with five permanent segments. 

 Petals five, round, from the edge of the calyx. Filaments awl- 

 shaped, incurved ; anthers roundish, two-lobed. Germen inferior, 

 roundish. Styles from two to five, thread-shaped, erect ; stigma 

 knobbed. Apple globular, concave at the top, crowned with the 

 calyx, with from two to five hard cells or capsules, each one- 

 valved. Seeds two in one cell, erect, inversely egg-shaped. 

 Named from Mespile, a medlar. 247. 



1. M. Oi-yacdntha. Hawthorn. Whitethorn. Branches thorny ; leaves 

 three or five-lobed, serrate, smooth ; flowers in terminal corymbs ; styles 



generally two, often one. A small tree or shrub, with smooth bark : 



thorns small, awl-shaped : flowers white, sometimes pink : fruit mealy, 

 deep-red. The wood is very hard : the flowers emit a very agreeable 

 odour : and the berries which remain upon the branches during the winter 

 are eaten by numerous species of small birds. Its value for hedges is 

 well known. Flowers in May and June : grows in thickets, and by 

 rivers, as in many places along the Tweed. Eng. Bot. vol. xxxv. pi. 2504. 

 Eng. FL vol. ii. p. 359. 735. 



2. M. Germdnica. Common Medlar. Leaves lance-shaped, some- 

 what downy ; flowers solitary, nearly sessile, terminal ; styles five. 



Brandies thorny : leaves alternate, entire, veined : flowers large, with 

 white undulated petals : fruit depressed, austere. A small tree : flowers 

 in May : grows in hedges, in England : rare. Eng. Bot. vol. xxii. pi. 

 1523. Eng. Ft. vol. ii. p. 360. 736. 



3. M. Cotonedster. Dwarf Quince- leaved Medlar. Leaves egg-shaped, 



entire, downy beneath ; germen smooth; styles three or four. A small 



bush, without thorns : flowers drooping, pale-red : fruit red, mealy. 

 Flowers in July : grows at Ormeshead, Caernarvonshire. Eng. Bot. 

 Suppl. pi. 2713. Eng.Ft. vol. ii. p. 360. 737. 



3. PY'RUS. PEAR. 



Calyx superior, of one leaf, deeply divided into five permanent 

 segments. Petals five, roundish, much larger than the calyx, and 

 arising- from its edge. Filaments awl-shaped, shorter than the 

 corolla ; anthers oblong, two-lobed. Germen inferior, roundish. 

 Styles from two to five, thread -shaped, as long as the stamens ; 

 stigmas simple. Apple roundish or oblong, pitted at the top, 

 fleshy, with as many bivalve membranous cells as there are styles. 

 Seeds two in each cell, inversely egg-shaped, flattened on one side. 

 Named from the Celtic peren, a pear. 248. 



1. P. communis. Wild Pear-tree. Leaves simple, egg-shaped, serrate; 



flower-stalks corymbose. A tall tree with thorny branches : leaves 



serrate, smooth, downy when young : flower-stalks terminal, downy : 

 flowers numerous, snow-white : fruit inversely egg-shaped, hard and aus- 

 tere. Flowers in April and May : grows in woods and hedges : not 

 common. Eng. Bot. vol. XJEV. pi. 1784. Eng. FL vol. ii. p. 302. 738. 



