CHAP. XLII. flOSA^CE^E, CYDO X NIA. 929 



GENUS XIX. 



CYDO'NIA Town. TIIF QUINCE TREK. Lin. Syxt. Tcosandria 

 Di-Pentagynia. 



Identification. Tourn. Inst., G32. t. 40.5. ; Pers. Syn., 2. p. 40. ; Lincll. in Lin. Sec. Trans., 13. p. 97 : 

 Dec. Prcxl., 2. p. 638. ; Don's Mill., -2. p. 650, 

 /,/' 



,: /^rus sp. /,/';/. 

 Derivation. From its native place, #</<*, in Canclia. 



Description, $c. Low deciduous trees or shrubs, natives of Europe and 

 Asia; easily propagated by layers, or by grafting on the common thorn. 



1. C. VULGA^RIS Pers. The common Quince Tree. 



Identification. Pers. Syn., 2. p. 40. ; Dec. Prod., 2. p. 638. ; Don's MiH., 2. p. 650. 

 Synonymes. Ptyrus Cydbnia Lin. Sp., 687., Jacq. Austr., t. 342. ; C. europa? x a Sav. Alb. Tosc.. 1 

 ' p. 90. 

 Engrarings. Jacq. Austr., t. 342. ; Sav. Alb. Tosc., 1. p. 90. ; and our plate in Vol. II. 



Spec. Char., $c. Leaves ovate, obtuse at the base, entire, tomentose beneath, 

 Calyx tomentose; its lobes serrulated, and a little leafy. Stamens in one 

 row. A native of rocky places and hedges in the south of Europe. (Dec. 

 Prod., ii. p. 638.) 



Varieties. In nursery catalogues, and also in botanical works, there are 



generally five or six varieties designated and described j but Mr. Thompson 



has judiciously remarked that there are, in reality, only the three following: 



C. v. 1 pyriformis Hort. has the fruit pear-shaped, and may be con- 



sidered as the normal form of the species. 



" C. v. 2 maliformis Hort. has the fruit apple-shaped, and requires to be 



continued by extension ; because it is found that seedling plants 



from this variety and the preceding one are not quite true to their 



kinds ; most frequently producing pear-shaped fruit. 



X C. v. 3 lusitdnica Du Ham. has broader leaves, and larger fruit, than the 



two preceding kinds ; and, being of more vigorous growth, it is 



better adapted for being used as a stock for pears. It is not so 



good a bearer as either of the other two varieties ; and the fruit is 



not of so deep an'orange. See Hort. Soc. Cat. of Fr. t 2d edit., p. 155 



Description. The quince is a low tree, with a crooked stem, and tortuous 



rambling branches : the bark is smooth and brown, approaching to black ; the 



leaves are roundish or ovate; dusky green above, and whitish underneath. 



The flowers are large, with the petals pale red or white, and the sepals of the 



same length as the petals. The flowers are succeeded by large fruit, globular, 



oblong, or pear-shaped, of a rich yellow or orange colour when ripe, and 



emitting a particularly strong, and to some a disagreeable, odour, somewhat of 



the nature of that of apples. According to Gerard, the fruit is hurtful to 



the head by reason of its strong smell; and it has, when eaten from the tree, 



" a kind of choking taste." The tree is of moderately rapid growth when 



young ; attaining, in four or five years, the height of 6 ft. or 8 ft. ; and, in 



ten or twelve years, the height of 15 ft.: after which it continues to increase 



in width of head only; being very seldom found higher than 15 ft. or 20 ft. 



Geography, History, $c. The tree is supposed to have been originally a 

 native of Cydon, a city in Crete, or Candia, as it is now called ; but it is 

 much more probable that it was only first brought into notice in that island. 

 It is at present considered indigenous to the south of France, and to Germany, 

 on the banks of the Danube. It is generally found in a moist soil, and in'a 

 situation, that is somewhat shady. The quince was known to the Greeks and 

 Romans, and by both nations was held in high estimation. Columella says, 

 " Quinces not only yield pleasure, but health ;" and Pliny mentions many 



3 Q 2 



