ROSE FAMILY 



Flowers. — May, June; when leaves are full grown. Perfect, white, 

 two-thirds of an inch across. Borne in many-flowered thin-branched 

 racemose corymbs, the lower branches from the axils of leaves. 

 Pedicels slender, one-half to one inch in length. Bracts and bract- 

 lets acute, half an inch long. 



Calyx. — Urn-shaped, narrow, five-lobed; lobes linear-lanceolate, 

 serrate, finally reflexed, persistent, imbricate in bud. 



Corolla. — Petals five, round, white, inserted on the calyx tube, 

 imbricate in bud. 



Stamens. — Ten, inserted with the petals ; filaments short ; anthers 

 introrse, two-celled ; cells opening longitudinally. 



Pistil. — Ovary of two or three carpels inserted in the bottom of 

 calyx tube and united with it ; styles two ; stigmas capitate ; ovules 

 two. 



Fruit, — Drupe-like pome with bony stones, globular or pyriform, 

 one-third to one -half an inch long, crowned with the calyx lobes, 

 dull red ; flesh thin, dry ; nutlets one-fourth of an inch long, rounded 

 at both ends, two to three-grooved on back. September ; remains 

 on the tree until spring. 



When it was made certain that the Hawthorn, C. oxyacantha^ 

 which makes up the great body of the hedges of England, 

 really would not flourish in this country, the attention of 

 farmers and gardeners was turned toward our native thorns 

 to see if any of them \vere available as hedge plants. The 

 Cockspur Thorn is the only one that has at all proved itself 

 equal to the requirements, yet since the introduction of the 

 Osage Orange it has fallen into disuse. But cultivated as an 

 ornamental tree it is particularly attractive. It flowers 

 late, after its large and shining leaves are fully developed, 

 grouping in this respect with the Horse-chestnut, the Lo- 

 cust, and the Catalpa. Then its fruit hangs red upon the 

 tree all w-inter long ; in autumn the leaves turn a bright 

 orange and scarlet, and when the tree stands leafless the 

 spread of its branches is very beautiful. 



The leaves of the Cockspur Thorn are likely to vary con- 

 siderably on different individuals and not infrequently on the 

 same individual. Six varieties are reported to be in cul- 

 tivation, each distinguished by its leaf. 



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