AMELANCHIER 187 



chiers, this is still one of the rarest. It flowers in May, some weeks later than 

 A. canadensis, from which it is very distinct in the round not pointed leaves, 

 in the toothing of the leaf being coarser and confined to the terminal part, and 

 in the dense, erect racemes. A nearer ally is A. florida, which has similarly 

 shaped leaves, but toothed nearly to the base, a much less woolly calyx, and 

 flowers earlier. A. alnifolia is perfectly hardy, and flowers with the greatest 

 freedom at Kew, where it is over 20 ft. high. The fruits are not likely to be of 

 any service in this country, but in Western N. America they have always been 

 an important item in the food of the native races, who gather the fruits, crush 

 them, and then dry them for winter use. 



AMELAXCHIER ALXIFOLIA. 



A. ASIATICA, Walpers. CHINESE SERVICE-BERRY. 



(A. canadensis var. japonica, Miguel.') 



A deciduous tree, of very graceful habit, 15 to 30 ft. high, branches slender. 

 Leaves oval or ovate, pointed, i^ to 3 ins. long, half as much wide, sometimes 

 nearly or wholly entire, but mostly toothed except at the base ; covered when 

 quite young with a loose floss which so' n falls away, leaving both surfaces 

 quite smooth. Flowers on stalks | to f in. long, in broad, erect racemes i to 

 2^ ins. long; 'white, fragrant; petals strap-shaped, f in. long. Fruit black- 

 purple, about the size of a black currant. 



Native of China, in the province of Hupeh, etc., but originally introduced 

 from Japan, where it is commonly cultivated in the vicinity of temples. It is 

 not easy to distinguish it from some of the forms of A. canadensis, but at Kew 

 it always flowers two or three weeks later (usually in mid- May, when the leaves 

 are about full s'ze), and the petals are uniformly strap-shaped. The leaves, 

 too, never appear to be heart-shaped at the base, as they often are in 

 A. canadensis. A slender, elegant tree. 



