DECIDUOUS SHRUBS. 483 



THE COTONEASTER. Cotoneaster. 



Shrubs, deciduous and evergreen, from four to twenty feet high. 

 The leaves of some varieties resemble the quince leaf, and others 

 the leaves of the purple fringe tree. Mostly half-hardy. 



The Common Cotoneaster. C. vulgaris.— K shrub three to 

 five feet high. Flowers small, white, slightly tinged with pink, in 

 April and May. Fruit red or black, ripe in July and August. Of 

 little value. 



The FRir.iD Cotoneaster. C. frigida. — This is a native of the 

 high mountains of Nepal, in Asia, and becomes under cultivation 

 a tree from fifteen to twenty feet in height. It is sub-evergreen in 

 England, but deciduous in this country. Leaves pointed-elliptical, 

 smooth on the upper side, woolly on the under side, when young, 

 and from three to five inches long. Flowers small, white, in ter- 

 minal panicles, produced in great abundance in April and May. 

 Fruit crimson or bright red, of the size of a small currant, and 

 remains a long time on the tree — sometimes all winter. The growth 

 is quite rapid when young, and in three or four years from the seed 

 it bears flowers and fruit. " As the fruit, with the greater part of 

 the leaves, remains on all winter, the tree makes a splendid ap- 

 pearance at that season " (Loudon). Quite hardy in England, but 

 only half-hardy in our northern States. It may be grafted on the 

 hawthorn. 



The Downy Cotoneaster or Downy Nepal. C. affinis. — 

 This is a more commonly cultivated variety of the above, and 

 differs only in its broader and shorter leaves. Both resemble 

 thrifty pyramidal dwarf pear trees, with larger and thicker leaves. 



The Pointed-leaved Cotoneaster or the Many-leaved 

 Cotoneaster, C. acuminata and C. numularia, has smaller and 

 rounder leaves, a more spreading habit, and less abundant bloom. 

 It is grafted by some of our nurserymen on the mountain ash. 



The Loose-flowered Cotoneaster, C. laxiflora, is a variety 

 with pink flowers borne in loose racemes in April. 



There are some dwarf evergreen varieties which are mentioned 

 in the chapter on evergreen trees and shrubs. 



