266 THE KOSE PAMILY> 



sphere, but chiefly in central Asia and southern Europe. This and the 

 three following genera, although universally distinguished by modern 

 botanists, are nevertheless separated only by characters of little im- 

 portance and difficult to appreciate. The structure of the flowers is 

 the same in all ; the number of styles is variable, the distinction con- 

 sists chiefly in the consistency of the lining of the cells of the ripe 

 fruit. In Pyrus it is cartilaginous or leathery, so that the fruit can be 

 cut across with a knife ; in the three other genera the cells are hard 

 and bony, and tend to separate from each other into distinct nuts. The 

 following analytical Table includes the British species of all four. 



Flowers solitary or few together, in simple bunches. 

 Leaves undivided. 

 Calyx-segments long and leafy. Flowers solitary, 



sessile XVII. Mediae. 



Calyx-segments small. Flowers several together. 

 Flowers small, drooping. Leaves entire, white 



underneath XYI. Cotoneaster. 



Flowers showy, erect. Leaves toothed. 



Styles combined at the base. Fruit globular . 2. Apple P. 



Styles distinct. Fruit pear-shaped 1. Pear P. 



Flowers in branched corymbs. Leaves often cut or 

 divided. 

 Leaves simple, toothed, lobed, or pinnate at the base 

 only. 

 Leaves very white underneath, with a dense cotton 3. Beam P. 

 Leaves green or loosely hairy underneath. 



Leaves large, broad or almost cordate at the base, 



more or less pinnately lobed 4. Cut-leaved P. 



Leaves narrowed or wedge-shaped at the base, 



3- or 5-lobed XV. Hawthorn. 



Leaves pinnately divided to the midrib into several 



pairs of distinct, nearly equal segments or leaflets 5. Rowan P. 



Several others are cultivated in our gardens for their fruit or for 

 ornament, especially the Quince ( P. Cydonia), the scarlet Pear (P. Ja- 

 ponica), the Siberian Crab (P. prunifolia), etc. 



1. Pear Pyrus. Pyrus communis, Linn. (Fig. 328.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1784. Pear-tree.) 



In favourable circumstances the Pear will form a handsome tree of 

 considerable elevation, of a somewhat pyramidal shape, with dense 

 foliage, and showing all its flowers on the outside ; but it may often 

 be seen as a low scrubby tree or mere bush. Leaves stalked, ovate or 



