43° The Apples 



III. THE APPLES 

 GENUS MALUS [TOURNEFORT] HILL 



t^g^aALUS embraces about 15 species of trees or shrubs, natives of the north 

 temperate zone, over which they are well distributed. 



The leaves are simple, alternate, toothed or lobed, and slender- 

 stalked. The flowers, which are white to rose-colored and fragrant, 

 are clustered in simple terminal cymes; the calyx- tube is um- or bell-shaped, 

 5-lobed at the top; the petals, inserted at the mouth of the calyx-tube, are roimded 

 at the apex, narrowed and clawed at the base; the stamens, about 20, are inserted 

 with the petals in several rows and composed of stout filaments and rather large 

 oblong yellow or purple anthers; the ovary consists of 5 carpels, or sometimes but 

 2 or 3, united at the base, free at the top, and terminated by slender, stigmatic 

 pointed styles; ovules 2 in each cavity. The fruit is a large globose pome, usually 

 depressed, and hollowed at the base, with thick juicy flesh free of grit-cells; its 

 papery or leathery carpels, forming the " core," are joined at the top, but free in 

 the middle, containing 2, sometimes but i, large, ovoid, pointed, shining brown 

 seeds. 



The name Malus is the Greek name of the Apple, which is the t)^ of the genus 

 The species occurring in our area are : 



Fruit impressed at the base; calyx-lobes persistent. 

 Leaves glabrous, at least where mature. 

 Leaves oblong, lanceolate or oval, mostly narrowed at the base. i. M. angustifolia. 



Leaves ovate, cordate or rounded at the base. 2. M. coronaria. 



Leaves persistently pubescent or tomentose beneath. 

 Leaves mostly narrowed at base; pome 2 to 4 cm. in diameter. Native 

 trees. 

 Pedicels stout, hairy, 1 to 2.5 cm. long. 3. M. iosnsis. 



Pedicels slender, smooth, 2 to 4 cm. long. 4. M. Sotdardi. 



Leaves rounded or subcordate at the base; pome 5 to 10 cm. in diam- 

 eter. Introduced European tree. 5. M. Malus. 

 Fruit i6unded at the base, oblong; calyx-lobes deciduous. 6. M. diversifolia. 



I. NARROW-LEAVED CRAB APPLE —Malus angustifolia (Aiton) 



Michaux 



Pyrus angustifolia Aiton 



This is a beautiful small tree, often forming dense thickets, from New Jersey 

 to Kansas, south to Florida and Louisiana. Its maximum height is 9 meters, with 

 a trunk diameter of 3 dm. 



The branches are stiff and spreading, forming a broad, round tree; the bark 

 is about 5 mm . thick, rather deeply fissured into narrow ridges, and broken into 

 small, persistent, reddish brown scales; the twigs are slender, pale-hairy, soon be- 



