1470 



PYRUS 



A. PYROPHORUM or PYRUS PROPER : fr. with gramilar 

 or gritty flesh (unless ripened off the tree); 

 styles usually free to the base. 



1. communis, Linn. COMMON PEAR. Pigs. 1684-89, 

 2022. Strong, upright tree, living to a great age and 

 sometimes attaining a height of 75 ft., the pedicels and 

 sometimes the young growth pubescent, but all parts 

 becoming glabrous: Ivs. mostly oblong-ovate, with a 

 prominent point, hard in texture and veiny, bright 

 green, the serratures small and much appressed and 

 obtuse, or sometimes the leaf is almost entire : fls. in 

 umbel-like clusters on slender (2 to 3 in.) pedicels, 

 white, appearing with the Ivs.; calyx persistent: fr. 

 very various under cultivation, usually tapering to the 

 stem, the flesh generally with gritty concretions. Na- 

 tive to southern Europe and Asia, where it has been 

 cultivated from the earliest times. Probably, indige- 

 nous as far east as Kashmir. In the Syrio-Persian region 

 are several very distinct Pyruses of the Pear group, a 

 number of which may be outlying forms of P. commu- 

 nis. In the wild in Europe, various thorny and small- 

 fruited forms are known, two of which are often sepa- 

 rated under Latin names : Var. Achras, Wallr., with 

 ovate-acuminate long -stalked Ivs. which, with the ca- 



2022. Pyrus communis (X 



lyx-tube, are tomentose when young, and the fr. taper- 

 ing at the base. Var. Pyraster, Wallr., with roundish 

 acute, strongly serrate Ivs., which, with the calyx-tube, 

 are glabrous when young, the fruit rounded at the base. 



PYRUS 



There are forms of P. communis with variegated foli- 

 age (var. variegata), lobed (var. trilobata) and cut 

 leaves (var. heterophylla). 



2023. Pyrus Toringo (X %). See No. 6. 



2. nivalis, Jacq. SNOW PEAR. Shoots grayish pubes- 

 cent: Ivs. oval to obovate-oval, obtuse or short-acute, 

 entire, gray-pubescent: fls. large, white, showy: fr. 

 small, roundish pyriform, late-ripening, acid, becoming 

 sweet when overripe. Southern France, southern Ger- 

 many, northern Italy, Austria. The Snow Pear is a 

 small tree, with thick shoots that are white- or gray- 

 hairy when young. It is grown in parts of Europe, par- 

 ticularly in France, for the making of perry or Pear 

 cider, the greater part of such varieties being of this 

 species. By some writers it is considered to be a form 

 of P. communis. It is not known to be in cultivation in 

 this country, but it would not be strange if some of the 

 imported Pear stocks were of this species. Said to be 

 called Snow Pear because the fruits are fit for eating 

 after snow falls. This is the Poire Sauger ("sage- 

 leaved Pear") of the French. 



3. Sinensis, Lindl. (P. communis, var. SinSnsis, Koch. 

 P. Ussuriensis, Maxim. P. Simonii, Carr. P. Sieboldii, 

 Carr. P. Japdnica, Hort.). SAND PEAR. JAPANESE 

 and CHINESE PEAR. Fig. 1680. A very rapid-growing 

 tree, with strong, thick shoots : Ivs. broadly ovate and 

 long-pointed, very dark green, the margins thickly fur- 

 nished with very sharp, sometimes almost bristle-like 

 teeth: fls. large, appearing rather in advance of the 

 foliage : fr. hard and usually roughish, commonly with 

 a depression or "cavity" about the stem, the flesh tough 

 and gritty and poor in flavor, the calyx usually falling 

 before maturity. Native to China. B.R. 15:1248. R.H. 

 1872, p. 28; 1880:110. G.C. III. 28:298. Known in this 

 country in a number of varieties, as Chinese Sand, 

 Japanese Sand, Hawaii, Madame von Siebold, Mikado, 

 Diamyo, Gold Dust. The fruits are often remarkably 

 apple-like, especially in the russet varieties, but they 

 are distinguished by the long stem and pear-like flesh. 



