CL. XII.] ICOSANDRIA PENTAGYNIA. 21 



><lly 



PENTAGYNIA. 



2. ME'SPILUS. MEDLAR-HAWTHORN. 



Calyx superior, of one leaf, with five permanent segments. 

 Petals five, round, from the edge of the calyx. Filaments awl- 

 shaped, incurved ; anthers roundish, two-lobed. Germen in- 

 ferior, roundish. Styles from two to five, thread-shaped, erect ; 

 stigma knobbed. Apple globular, concave at the top, crowned 

 with the calyx, with from two to five hard cells or capsules, 

 each one-valved. Seeds two in one cell, erect, inversely egg- 

 shaped. Named from Mespile, a medlar. 247. 



1. M. Oxyacdntha. Hawthorn. Whitethorn. Branches thorny ; 

 leaves three or five-lobed, serrate, smooth ; flowers in terminal co- 

 rymbs ; styles generally two, often one. A small tree or shrub, 



with smooth bark: thorns small, awl-shaped: flowers white, 

 sometimes pink : fruit mealy, deep-red. The wood is very hard : 

 the flowers emit a very agreeable odour : and the berries which 

 remain upon the branches during the winter are eaten by nume- 

 rous species of small birds. Its value for hedges is well known. 

 Flowers in May and June : grows in thickets, and by rivers, as in 

 many places along the Tweed. Eng. Sot. vol. xxxv. pi. 2504. Eng. 

 Fl. vol. ii. p. 359. 725. 



2. M. Germdnica. Common Medlar. Leaves lance-shaped, some- 

 what downy ; flowers solitary, nearly sessile, terminal ; styles live. 



Branches thorny : leaves alternate, entire, veined : flowers 



large, with white undulated petals : fruit depressed, austere. A 

 small tree : flowers in May : grows in hedges, in England : rare. 

 Eng. Bot.vol. xxii. pi. 1523. Eng. Fl. vol. ii. p. 360. 736. 



3. M. Cotonedster. Dwarf Quince-leaved Medlar. Leaves egg- 

 shaped, entire, downy beneath ; germen smooth ; styles three or 

 four. A small bush, without thorns : flowers drooping, pale- 

 red : fruit red, mealy. Flowers in July: grows at Ormeshead, 

 Caernarvonshire. Eng. Bot. Suppl. pi. 2713. Eng. Fl. vol. ii. p. 360. 



737. 

 3. PY'RUS. PEAR, 



Calyx superior, of one leaf, deeply divided into five perma- 

 nent segments. Petals five, roundish, much larger than the 

 calyx, and arising from its edge. Filaments awl-shaped, 

 shorter than the corolla ; anthers oblong, two-lobed. Germen 

 inferior, roundish. Styles from two to five, thread-shaped, as 

 long as the stamens ; stigmas .simple. Apple roundish or ob- 

 long, pitted at the top, fleshy, with as many bivalve membra- 

 nous cells as there are styles. Seeds two in each cell, inversely 

 egg-shaped, flattened on one side. Named from the Celtic 

 peren, a pear. 248. 



1. P. communis. Wild Pear-tree. Leaves simple, egg-shaped, 



serrate ; flower-stalks corymbose. A tall tree with thorny 



branches : leaves serrate, smooth, downy when young ; flower- 

 stalks terminal, downy : flowers numerous, snow-white -. fruit in- 

 versely egg-shaped, hard and austere. Flowers in April and May. 

 grows in woods and hedges : not common. Eng. Bot. vol. xxv. pi. 

 1784. Eng. Fl. vol. ii. p. 302. 738. 



