ROSACEAE 



ROSE FAMILY 



WILD CRAB 



Pyrns iocnsis (Wood) Bailey 



One of the most beautiful and fragrant of all trees is the 

 Wild Crab when it is in bloom in late April and May. The 

 rose-colored buds and the delicately pink flowers have a dis- 

 tinctive beauty beg- 

 garing description. It 

 is from this species 

 that the Bechtel's 

 Do uble-flowering 

 Crab of our gardens 

 is derived. 



The Wild Crab is 

 found from central 

 Kentucky and Indi- 

 ana to Wisconsin and 

 Minnesota, south to 

 eastern Kansas, Texas 

 and Louisiana. The 

 tree grows 10-20 feet 

 tall. The lower sur- 

 faces of the alternate 

 leaves are densely 



covered with downy hairs, at least when young, and the petioles 

 are quite woolly. 



The 5 green sepals and 5 pink or whitish petals are attached 

 to the urn-shaped receptacle above the ovaries. Stamens are 

 numerous and there are 2-5 styles. The extremely fragrant 

 fruit is green when ripe and excellent tor making jelly. 



The Southern or Narrow-leaved Crab, Pyrus angustifolia Ait., 

 is also a common tree of southern Illinois and southern states. 

 It likewise seeks low ground near streams. It is particularly 

 striking in bud, for the pink flowers do not open for perhaps 10 

 days after reaching full size. The fruit, much smaller than in 

 the Wild Crab, is green and less fragrant. 



In southern Illinois will also be found the American Crab, 

 Pyrus coronaria L., a somewhat armed tree 10-35 feet high, grow- 

 ing in thickets and open woods. The leaves are thick, ovate or 

 elliptic, shining and dark green above; and the fragrant pink 

 flowers are few in each cyme and mostly less than 1 inch broad. 



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