Handbook of TreEvS of the Northerx States and Caxadj 



The Pear Thorn is a very distinct species, 

 but not of large stature. It sometimes attains 

 a height of 18 or 20 ft. with upright or spread- 

 ing top of rigid tortuous branches and trunk 

 5 or 10 in. in diameter, or is often shrubby 

 with several stems. The trunks are usually 

 well armed with formidable thorns and cov- 

 ered with rather smooth bark of pale gray or 

 brown color and finally exfoliating in thinnish 

 plate-like scales. It is of wider range than 

 most of the American species, occupying low 

 rich soil in localities from eastern Xew York 

 to Kansas and from the Great Lakes to the 

 southernmost slopes of the Alleghanies, but is 

 not everywhere in this range abundant. West- 

 ern New York and southeastern Missouri seem 

 to be th? regions of greatest abundance. It 

 is easily recognizable on account of its large 

 membranous leaves about equally pointed at 

 both ends and its ample upright clusters of 

 small oblong or pear-shaped fruit, which it 

 retains long after the leaves have fallen. In 

 this late retention of its handsome fruit and in 

 the brilliancy of its autumnal colors lie its 

 chief points of ornamental value, for which it 

 is occasionally planted in American and Eu- 

 ropean gardens. 



Leaves elliptic to obovate-oblong, ."-.5 in. Ion?, 

 cuneate and entire at base and decurrent on the 

 short petiole, mostly acute at apex, .sharply den- 

 tate or somewhat lobed above at maturity, thin- 

 nish, scabrous or glabrous above, pubesc'«int be- 

 neath ; petioles stout. Floiccrs in early .Tune, 

 about 1/2 in. across in many-flowered to'mentose 

 compound corymbs : calyx with narrow laciniato- 

 serrulate lobes : stamens 20 : anthers pale rosf- 

 colored : styles 2-5. Fruit ripens in October and 

 persists nearly until spring, red. in erect many- 

 fruited clusters, mostly pear-shaped or oblong, 

 with reflexed calyx lob(>s ; stones 2 or .", broad 

 rounded on the back and with two large ventral 

 cavities. 



