ROSACEA. 



271 



sian Asia, except the extreme north. Abundant in Britain, and uni- 

 versally cultivated for artificial hedges. Fl. spring or early summer. 

 It varies much in the form of its leaves, the down of its foliage and 

 calyx, the number of styles, and the colour and size of the flower and 

 fruit. 



XYI. COTONEASTER. COTONEASTER. 



Shrubs, with leaves usually small and entire, and rather small flowers, 

 either solitary on short peduncles, or 4 or 5 together, in short droop- 

 ing racemes ; the generic characters those of Hawthorn, except that 

 the cells of the fruit form as many nuts, distinct from each other, but 

 cohering to the inside of the fleshy calyx. 



The species are few, chiefly from eastern Europe or central Asia, with 

 a few North American ones. 



1. Common Cotoneaster. Cotoneaster vulgaris, Lindl. 



(Fig. 334.) 



(Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2713.) 



An irregularly- growing, tortuous shrub, 

 with a dark ruddy bark ; the young 

 shoots and under side of the leaves co- 

 vered with a short, dense, white cot- 

 tony down. Leaves shortly stalked, 

 small, ovate or orbicular, and entire, 

 glabrous on the upper side. Elowers 

 greenish-white, small, solitary or few 

 together, in short drooping racemes, on 

 very short leafy branches or buds. 

 Calyx glabrous, with short broad teeth. 

 Styles usually 3. Fruit small, reddish. 

 In rocky situations, chiefly in lime- 

 stone regions, in central and southern, 

 and especially eastern Europe, and in 

 central and Russian Asia, extending in 



the east to the Arctic Circle, ascending high up into mountain ranges, 

 even to the edges of glaciers. In Britain, only known on the limestone 



cliffs of the Great Orme's Head. Fl. spring. 



Fig. 334. 



