( 403 .) 
ME'SPILUS* * 
Linnean Class and Order . Icosa'ndria f, Pentagy'nia. 
Natural Order. Poma'cea? +, Linn. — Lindl. in Tr. of Linn. Soc. 
v. xiii. p. 93. ; Syn. p. 103. ; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 83. — 
Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. ii. p.597. — Rosa'ce.® ; tribe, 
Poma'ce^e, Juss. Gen. PI. p. 334. — Sm. Gram, of Bot. pp. 171 
and 172. — Rich, by Macgilliv. pp. 528 & 530. — Loud. Hort. Brit, 
pp. 512 & 513. — Hook. Brit. FI. (4th edit.) p. 405. — Rosales ; 
subtype, Pyrid.e, Burn. Outl. of Bot. v. ii. pp. 614 & 695. 
Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. l,a.) superior, of 1 sepal, in 5 deep, 
leafy, permanent segments. Corolla (fig. 2.) of 5 roundish, con- 
cave, wavy petals, attached to the rim of the calyx. Filaments 
(fig. 1, b.) about 20, awl-shaped, incurved, fixed to the rim of the 
calyx, within the petals. Anthers roundish, 2-lobed. Germcn 
(fig. 1, d.) inferior, turbinate or roundish. Disk large, secreting 
much honey. Styles (fig. 1, c.) 2 to 5, upright, smooth. Fruit 
(fig. 3.) turbinate, 5-celled, with the upper ends of the cells, which 
are bony, exposed. Seeds (see figs. 4 & 5.) 2 in each cell, up- 
right, inversely egg-shaped, blunt, pointed at the base, where they 
are attached. 
The superior, monophyllous calyx, in 5 deep, leaf-like, perma- 
nent segments ; the corolla of 5 roundish petals ; the large, honey- 
bearing disk; the smooth styles ; and the turbinate, 5-celled fruit, 
with the upper ends of the cells, which are bony, exposed ; will 
distinguish this from other genera in the same class and order. 
One species British. 
ME'SPILUS GERMA'NICA. German Medlar. Common Medlar. 
Spec. Char. Leaves spear-shaped, undivided, a little downy, 
but most so beneath. Flowers solitary, nearly sessile, terminal. 
Styles five. 
Engl. Bot. t. 1523. — Linn. Sp. PI. p. 684. — Huds. FI. Angl. (2nd ed. ) p. 217. — 
Willd. Sp. PI. v. ii. pt. II. p. 1010. — Sm. Ft. Brit. v. ii. p. 530 ; Engl. FI. v. ii. p. 
360. — With. (7th ed.) v. iii. p.599. — Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p.566. — Lindt. Syn. 
p. 104. — Hook. Brit. Ft. p. 221. — Macr. Man. Brit. Bot. p. 74. — Decand. Prod. v. ii. 
p. 633. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. ii. p. 605. — Loud. Encycl. of Gard. 
(new edit.) p. 905. paragr. 4873. ; Arb. et Frutic. Brit. v. ii. p. 877.; and v. vi. 
t. 123. ; Eneyct. of Tr. and Shr. p. 415. f. 759. — Rev. G. E. Smith’s l’l. of S. Kent, 
p. 28. — FI. Devon, pp. 83 & 170. — Bab. Prim. FI. Sam. p. 34. — Irv. Lond. Fi. p. 
251. — Luxf. Reig. Ft. p. 43. — Mespilus, Dod. I’empt. p. 801, with a figure. — Trag. 
Hist. p. 1014, with a figure. Dill, in Ray’s Syn. p. 453. — Mespilus saliva, Johns. 
Ger. p. 1453. f. 1. — Mespilus vulgaris , Park. Farad, p. 568. t. 569. f. 3. 
Fig. 1. A Flower, deprived of its petals.; a. Calyx; b. Stamens; c. Styles; 
d. Section of the Germen. — Fig. 2. Corolla. — Fig. 3. A Fruit. — Fig. 4. Transverse 
section of Fruit. — Fig. 5. Section of the Seed. 
* From mesos, Gr. the half ; and pitas, Gr. a bullet ; the fruit resembling half 
a bullet. 
f See folio 100, note t. 4 See folio 402, a. 
