157 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



the midrib and scattered elsewhere ; margin sharply serrate, some of the leaves 

 having one or two large teeth on each side. Fruit globose, i to ^ in. in 

 diameter, with a depressed circular scar at the apex, no trace of the calyx 

 remaining. 



This was introduced in 1856 by Siebold from Japan, where it is not known in 

 the wild state ; and is supposed by Schneider to be a cross between P. baccata 

 and P. Toringo. It is a shrub, producing an abundance of beautiful pink 

 flowers, which appear with the leaves. (A. H.) 



PYRUS MALUS, Common Apple 



Pyrus Malus, Linnaeus, Sp. PI. 479 (1753) ; Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit. ii. 891 (1838); Wilkomm, 

 Forstl. Flora, 847 (1887)5 Ascherson and Graebner, Syn. Mitteleurop. Flora, vi. pt. 2, p. 

 74 (1906). 



A tree or large shrub with scaly fissured bark. Leaves scattered on the long 

 shoots, clustered on the short spurs, usually oval, rounded at the base, shortly acuminate 

 at the apex, crenate in margin. Flowers, 5 or 6 in an umbellate cyme, at the apex 

 of a short shoot ; sepals 5, triangular, acuminate ; petals 5, pink externally, white 

 internally ; stamens about 20, with white filaments and yellow anthers ; styles 5, 

 united at the base. Fruit sub-globose, about an inch in diameter, depressed both at 

 the base and apex, crowned by the calyx-segments, which are not united at the base. 



The wild apple, described above, is often considered to constitute two species, 

 which, as intermediate forms are common, are best treated as two varieties : 



1. Var. sylvestris, Linnaeus, Sp. PI. 479 (1753). 



Malus sylvestris, Miller, Gard. Did., ed. 8, No. 1 (1768). 



Malus acerba, MeVat, PI. Env. Paris, 187 (181 2); Mathieu, Fl. Forest, 171 (1897). 



Pyrus acerba, De Candolle, Prod. ii. 635 (1825). 



Young branchlets slightly pubescent, soon becoming glabrous. Leaves glabrous 

 above, shining and scattered pubescent beneath ; petiole slightly pubescent. Axis of 

 inflorescence and pedicels slightly pubescent ; calyx-tube glabrous ; sepals glabrous 

 externally, pubescent internally. This is generally supposed to be the variety 

 indigenous in western and central Europe. 



2. Var. pumila, Henry. 



Var. mitis, Wallroth, Sched. Crit. 215 (1822). 



Pyrus pumila, Koch, Dendrologie, i. 203 (1869). 



Malus pumila, Miller, Gard. Diet., ed. 8, No. 3 (1 768) ; Schneider, Laubholzkunde, i. 715 (1906). 



Malus paradisiaca, Medicus, Gesch. Bot. 78 (1793). 



Young branchlets tomentose. Leaves ovate or oval, often cuneate at the base, 

 crenately or sharply serrate, dull and more or less tomentose beneath. Axis of the 

 inflorescence, pedicels, calyx, and both surfaces of the sepals, tomentose. 



This variety, though often found naturalised in western Europe, is considered 

 by Ascherson and Graebner and by Schneider to be only truly wild in south-eastern 

 Europe, southern Russia, Siberia, Turkestan, Caucasus, and Asia Minor. It is the 



