POMACEAE. 



[VOL. II. 



i. Pyrus communis ~L,. 



Pear. Choke Pear. (Fig. 1977.) 



Pyrus communis L. Sp. PI. 479. 1753. 



A tree, sometimes 60 high and with a trunk 

 2-3 in diameter, commonly much smaller, the 

 branches usually thorny. Leaves ovate, elliptic 

 or obovate, finely serrulate or entire, slender- 

 petioled, i^ / ~3 / long, downy and ciliate when 

 young, becoming glabrous or nearly so when 

 old, the apex acute or acuminate, the base usu- 

 ally rounded; petioles sometimes as long as the 

 blades or longer; cymes few-several-flowered, 

 borne at the ends of short twigs of the preced- 

 ing year; pedicels 9 // -2 / long, at first downy; 

 flowers white, i / -2 / broad; calyx-lobes about as 

 long as the tube; styles distinct to the base; 

 pome, in the wild form, seldom over i' long, in 

 the numerous cultivated forms often much larger. 



In thickets and woods, Maine to New York, New 

 Jersey and Pennsylvania, escaped from cultivation. 

 Native of Europe and Asia. Wood hard, fine- 

 grained, reddish-brown; weight per cubic foot 51 

 Ibs. April-May. 



3. MALUS Juss. Gen. 334. 1789. 



Trees or shrubs, with alternate toothed or lobed leaves, and showy pink or white flowers 

 in simple terminal cymes. Calyx-tube urn-shaped or campanulate, 5-lobed. Petals 5, 

 rounded, clawed. Styles 2-5 (usually 5), united at the base; ovules 2 in each cavity, carpels 

 papery or leathery. Fruit a pome, usually depressed-globose, mostly hollowed at the base, 

 but sometimes rounded, its flesh not containing grit-cells. [Greek, apple.] 



About 15 species, natives of the north temperate zone. Besides the following, another occurs 

 in northwestern America. 



Leaves glabrous, at least when mature. 



Leaves ovate-lanceolate, narrowed at the base. i. M. anguslifolia. 



Leaves ovate, cordate or rounded at the base. 2. M. eoronaria. 



Leaves persistently pubescent or tomentose beneath. 



Leaves mostly narrowed at the base; pome I'-i #' in diameter. 



Pedicels slender, i'-iH' long. 3. M. Tofnsis. 



Pedicels stout, 6" -12" long. 4. M. Soulardi. 



Leaves rounded or subcordate at the base; pome 2' -4' in diameter. 5. M. Mains. 



i. Malus angustifdlia (Ait.) Michx. Narrow -leaved Crab Apple. 



(Fig. 1978.) 



Pyrus angustifolia Ait. Hort. Kew. 2: 176. 1789. 

 Malus angustifolia Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. i: 292. 1803. 



A small tree, sometimes 20 high and the trunk 

 10' in diameter. Leaves oblong, oblong-lanceolate 

 or oval, thick, shining and dark green above, gla- 

 brous when mature, sometimes pubescent beneath 

 when young, dentate or often entire, obtusish or 

 acute at the apex, narrowed at the base, i / -2 / long; 

 cymes few-flowered; pedicels \'-\%' long, slen- 

 der; flowers pink, fragrant, mostly less than i' 

 broad; styles nearly separate; pome about i' in 

 diameter. 



In thickets, New Jersey to Illinois and Kansas, 

 south to Florida and Louisiana. Wood hard, reddish 

 brown ; weight per cubic foot 43 Ibs. March-May. 



