M. DEOAISNE ON THE PAKADISE APPLE. 



55 



XIII. On the Paradise Apple. 

 By J. Decaisne, Member of the Institute of Trance*. 



I hate paid great attention for many years to the questions con- 

 cerning the origin of alimentary plants, and amongst others to 

 that of Pears, Cabbages, Lettuces, and Carrots, upon which sub- 

 jects I have already expressed my opinion. Allow me at the out- 

 set to say that the endeavour to establish a precise limit between 

 the Paradise Apple and the Doucin is analogous to the search for 

 the philosopher's stone. The flowers sent to me (those of Mr. 

 Scott's Paradise stock) correspond to those of the Paradise Apple 

 of some nurserymen, and to those of the Doucin of others. The 

 truth is, that the form of the petals, the hairiness or smoothness 

 of the styles, are as variable as the other characters presented by 

 the plants, and as the aspect of the trees themselves. The wild 

 Apples of our forests are in general spineless ; their leaves are 

 glabrous or pubescent ; their fruits are of a yellow colour. Wild 

 Apples never form trees in the manner that Wild Pears do under 

 the same conditions. The Apples form rather shrubs, which have 

 or have not creeping roots. Hence Tournefort's phrase, " Malus 

 pumila quae potius frutex quam arbor, fructu candido, Pirus para- 

 disiaca." This name of " Paradise Apple," or " fitchet," was men- 

 tioned as long ago as the time of Euellius, in 1536. In the work 

 called 'Abrege pour les Arbres Nains' (p. 51) occurs this passage: — 

 " Pour avoir bonne race de P. paradis il faut de celui qui porte 

 des pommes toutes blanches, les autres qu'on appelle commune- 

 ment des bouttes-terres sont des especes de francs qui jettent 

 beaucoup de bois." Hence at that time the method of multiplying 

 the Apple by cuttings was known, and the Paradise was specially 

 recommended for the purpose. It is by no means proved that the 

 P. malus prcecox of Pallas is a wild species peculiar to Russia ; 

 the contrary seems shown by the total absence of any Eussian 

 name for the plant, and which it would certainly possess if it were 

 wild. Pallas himself simply calls it by German names, while the 

 common Apple and the Malus baceata have Eussian, Mongolian, 

 Tartar, and other vernacular appellations. 



In Eussia, as with us, the Wild Apples are generally unprovided 

 with spines. Mr. Gelesnoff, who was kind enough to interest 

 himself in this matter, has collected for me, from various points 

 of the yast Eussian empire, specimens of Apples, specially for the 

 * Copied from the ' Gardener's Chronicle,' by permission of the Editor. 



