CHAPTER XXVII 

 POMACEiE (Apple Family) 



Habit, Leaves. — Members of the apple family are either 

 trees or shrubs. The alternate simple or compound leaves 

 are petioled, and have small deciduous stipules. 



Inflorescence. — The inflorescences are racemose {Amel- 

 anchier, service-berry), cymose {Malus, apple, Sorbus, moun- 

 tain ash) or simple {Cotoneaster, evergreen or fire thorn). 



Flowers. — The flowers (Fig. 157) are regular, perfect, and 

 usually with a concave or cup-shaped receptacle or torus to 

 which is attached a five-lobed or five-toothed calyx, five sepa- 

 rate petals, numerous distinct stamens and a one- to five- 

 celled ovary. The ovary is ordinarily five-celled, and the 

 carpels are wholly or partly united. The carpels vary in 

 texture from parchment-like (Malus, etc.) to bony (CratcB- 

 gus and Cotoneaster). The number of styles varies in the 

 different genera: generally three in Sorbus, two to five in 

 Malus (usually five), mostly five in Fyrus (pear), two to five 

 in Amelanchier, one to five in CratcBgus (thorn apples), two 

 to five in Cotoneaster. They may be distinct, as in Sorbus, 

 or partly imited as in Malus. The ovules are commonly two 

 (Malus) in each cell, sometimes one (Amelanchier), or rarely 

 several (Cydonia, quince). 



Fruit. — The fruit is a pome. Representatives of the 

 family are commonly spoken of as "pomaceous. " The pome 

 is a false or spurious fruit in which the receptacle or torus be- 

 comes fleshy, to form the greater portion of the fruit, and 

 encloses five bony, leathery or papery carpels (Fig. 158). 



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