WHITE BEAM. 
105 
like Medlars, till they “blet” or begin to decay, are far from 
unpleasant. Birds and squirrels eagerly seek for them on the 
tree, and those that fall are as welcome to hedgehogs and other 
mammals. This form is only found from the Midlands to the 
South of England as far west as Devon, and in Ireland. 
The sub-species latifolia {Pyrus rotundifolia of some 
botanists) has broader leaves, varying from oval-oblong to 
almost round, divided into wedge-shaped lobes, the cottony 
down beneath being grey rather than white, and the nerves 
less prominent on the underside. This form is found in 
Cornwall. 
The sub-species scandica (also known as Pyrus inter}nedid) 
has the leaves less tough, more deeply divided into rounded or 
oblong lobes, and the grey cotton beneath of a looser character. 
This form is found in Scotland. 
It should be noted that this species must not be called the 
White Beam-/r^^, for the word beam is the Saxon equivalent for 
tree. Other names for it include Hen-apple, Cumberland 
Hawthorn, Hoar Withy, Quick Beam, and Whipcrop. 
The Wild Service {Pyrus torminalis') is a small tree of 
local occurrence, which does not extend further north than 
Lancashire. In general appearance it may be taken for the 
White Beam, but closer inspection will reveal the following 
differences. The leaves, which are cut into tapering lobes and 
coarsely toothed, are heart-shaped at the base ; when young 
they are slightly downy beneath, but when mature they are 
smooth on both sides. Though the flowers are similar in size 
and colour to those of the White Beam, the fruit is smaller 
(one-third inch in diameter), less globular, and more like a large 
haw, though the colour is greenish-brown. The flowers appear 
in April and May, and the fruit, which is of a very dry, juiceless 
character, is ripe in November. In some localities these fruits 
are marketed, but they require to be kept like Medlars, until 
decay sets in, before they are fit to be eaten. 
