The Cotoneasters 



of the inner wall of this receptacle honey oozes, but it 

 is almost concealed by the stamens nearly closing the 

 mouth of the cup. Flies, beetles and wasps seem the 

 insects that most favour these shrubs by their visits. 

 When fertilisation has been effected the wall of the cup 

 swells up and forms the outer part of the bright berry, 

 and the real fruits within turn stony. 



Again, the Cotoneasters are desirable shrubs because 

 of their foliage foliage not handsome but serviceable. 

 The leaves are usually small ; in many species they are 

 evergreen, in others they tend to the evergreen habit 

 if the climatic conditions are not severe, in some they 

 are deciduous. Indeed, they are a great feature in 

 distinguishing the different species, as, for instance, 

 C. buxifolia, the Cotoneaster with leaves like those 

 of the box ; C. microphylla and C. rotundifolia, the 

 small-leaved and the round-leaved Cotoneasters re- 

 spectively, and so on. 



Our only native Cotoneaster, C. interrigima, or C. 

 vulgaris, which grows wild on the Great Orme's Head, 

 North Wales, and apparently nowhere else, is not at- 

 tractive for garden use. The garden species are all 

 Asiatic shrubs, chiefly from the Himalayas and north 

 China. One of the best of these is C. rotundifolia, 

 where the fruits are very plentiful, large, and richly 

 coloured. For some reason or other they are often left 



alone by the birds, who are so partial to some of the 



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