290 



MALACEAE. 



VOL. II. 



4. Malus Malus (L.) Britton. Apple. 

 Scarb- or Wilding-tree. Fig. 2325. 



Pyrits Malus L. Sp. PI. 479. 1753- 



Mains sylvestris Mill. Card. Diet. Ed. 8, no. i. 1768. 



A large tree with spreading branches, the trunk 

 sometimes reaching a diameter of 3 in cultiva- 

 tion. Leaves petioled, broadly ovate or oval, 

 obtuse or abruptly pointed at the apex, rounded 

 or slightly cordate at the base i'-3' long, dentate 

 or nearly entire, glabrous or nearly so above, 

 pubescent and often woolly beneath, especially 

 when young; pedicels generally tomentose, i'-2' 

 long; flowers pink, or white, ii'~3' broad; calyx 

 tomentose ; fruit depressed-globose or elongated, 

 hollowed at the base, ii'-3' in diameter. 



In woods and thickets, frequent in southern New 

 England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. 

 Our common apple, introduced from Europe and 

 escaped from cultivation. Native also of western 

 Asia. Wood hard, reddish brown ; weight per cubic 

 footsolbs. Crab-tree or -stock. Nurse-garden. April- 

 May. 



The cultivated crab apples are mainly hybrids of 

 this with M. baccata and are occasionally spon- 

 taneous. 



4. ARONIA Medic. Phil. Bot. 140. 1789. 



Low shrubs, with alternate simple petioled finely serrate leaves, the upper side of the 

 midrib glandular, the narrow stipules early deciduous. Flowers small, white or pink, in 

 terminal compound cymes. Calyx urn-shaped, 5-lobed. Petals 5, concave, spreading. 

 Stamens numerous. Styles 3-5, united at the base. Ovary woolly. Pome small, globose 

 or somewhat' top-shaped, not hollowed at the base, its carpels rather leathery. [Name 

 'modified from Aria, the beam-tree of Europe.] 



The genus consists of the following species, the first typical. 



Cyme and lower surfaces of the leaves woolly. 



Fruit short-pyriform, bright red; calyx-lobes very glandular. i. A. arbutifolia. 



Fruit oval to globose, purple-black ; calyx-lobes glandless, or with very few glands. 



2. A. atropurpurea. 

 Cyme and leaves glabrous or nearly so ; fruit black or purplish. 3. A. melanocarpa. 



i. Aronia arbutifolia (L.) Ell. 

 Red Choke-berry. Fig. 2326. 



Mespilus arbutifolia L. Sp. PI. 478. 1753. 

 Pyrus arbutifolia L. f. Suppl. 256. 1781. 

 Mespilus arbutifolia var. eryihrocarpa Michx. 



Fl. Bor. Am. i : 292. 1803. 

 A. arbutifolia Ell. Bot. S. C. & Ga. i : 556. 1821. 



A branching shrub, sometimes reaching 

 a height of 12, but usually much lower. 

 Leaves petioled, oval, oblong or obovate, 

 obtuse or abruptly short-pointed at the 

 apex, narrowed or somewhat cuneate at 

 the base, i'-3' long, serrulate-crenulate, 

 glabrous above, generally densely tomen- 

 tose beneath ; cymes terminal, but at length 

 overtopped by the young sterile shoots, 

 compound ; flowers white or purplish- 

 tinged, 4"-6" broad ; calyx and pedicels 

 tomentose ; calyx-lobes very glandular ; 

 pome 2 "-3" in diameter, and bright red 

 when mature, long-persistent. 



Swamps and wet woods, Massachusetts to 

 Florida, Ohio and Louisiana, often confused 

 with the following species, from which it is 

 quite distinct in fruit. Recorded from Ar- 

 kansas. Choke-pear. Dog-berry. March-May. 



