452 CYDONIA 



five-lobed. Fruit large, apple or pear-like, five-celled, with many seeds 

 in each cell. Seeds coated with mucilage. Cydonia was the name 

 given by the ancients to the common quince on account, so it is said, 

 of its growing in great abundance near Cydon, in Crete. 



Four of the quinces come from China and Japan, whilst the common 

 quince of our orchards probably originated in S.E. Europe or Asia Minor, 

 but that is uncertain. The fruits of all the species are fragrant and edible 

 when cooked, but excessively harsh and astringent in the raw state. 

 They are used for making jellies and other conserves, also for flavouring 

 ices, etc. Only one species, C. sinensis, is of doubtful hardiness. They 

 all like a sunny position, and whilst not particular as to soil, prefer a 

 good well-drained loam. The common quince often thrives well in 

 moist positions. 



C. CATHAYENSIS, Hemsley. 



A deciduous shrub of open habit, sparsely branched and more or less 

 thorny. Branches tortuous, furnished with spiny spurs several inches long. 

 Leaves short-stalked, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 3 to 5 ins. long, finely 

 toothed, pointed, tapering at the base ; smooth above, reddish downy beneath. 

 On the young growths of the year the stipules are large, broad, and leaflike, 

 oblique, I in. long, toothed. On year-old shoots the leaves are in tufts 

 springing from the axil of a spine ; stipules small. Flowers two or three 

 together in short clusters ; each flower \\ ins. in diameter ; petals white, round, 

 overlapping; calyx ciliate. Stamens numerous, shorter than the petals. Fruit 

 very large and heavy ; 4 to 6 ins. long, 2^ to 3^ ins. wide ; somewhat egg- 

 shaped, but abruptly contracted near the base. Seed f in. long, wedge-shaped, 

 pointed at one end. 



Although this quince is probably a native of China, nothing appears to be 

 definitely known of its habitat. Henry collected it in the province of Hupeh, 

 China, but never undoubtedly wild. It has long been grown at Kew, and by 

 Canon Ellacombe at Bitton, but its introduction is unrecorded. It is perfectly 

 hardy and bears fruit freely, but this does not ripen always out-of-doors. 

 Although not in any way showy, its habit is quaint, and the huge fruits stuck 

 close to the branches have a curious and interesting appearance. Increased 

 by seeds. 



C. JAPONICA, Persoon. JAPANESE QUINCE. 



A deciduous shrub of wide-spreading habit, forming a dense tangle of 

 interlacing, more or less spiny branches, ultimately 10 ft. high, and 20 ft. in 

 diameter ; branchlets downy. Leaves i^ to 37? ins. long, oval, tapering more 

 gradually towards the base than towards the apex, evenly saw-toothed, dark 

 glossy green above, paler beneath, quite smooth on both surfaces ; stipules 

 large and conspicuous on the shoots of the year, as much as i-i- ins. diameter, 

 obliquely kidney-shaped and toothed. Flowers \\ to if ins. across, produced 

 in clusters on the old wood, usually two to four on each cluster, scarlet to 

 blood-red. Fruit stalkless, green-yellow, specked with small dots, 2 to 2^ ins. 

 long and wide, apple-shaped or pear-shaped, fragrant. Syn. Pyrus japonica, 

 Thunberg. 



Native of China and Japan ; introduced by Sir Jos. Banks to Kew in 

 1796, and for many years now one of the best known arid most admired of 

 hardy shrubs. It sometimes commences to flower before Christmas, especially 

 when grown on a wall, and is usually in blossom by February or March, 

 continuing until June, or even later. Sometimes autumn flowers are produced 

 in distinct racemes instead of the stalkless clusters usual to the species ; in 

 these cases the flowers are produced alternately on stalks I in. or more long, 



