ICOSANDRIA. 
( 17 ) 
SNOWY MESPILUS. 
T he common Hawthorn of our Hedges would be allowed a Shrub of 
Elegance, were not the Eye tired with its Familiarity ; that is a 
Mespilus according to the received DiftinStions, and this Native of 
our North- America another j exceeding by many Degrees that Beauty we have 
allowed the common Kind. The Lord Northumberland, whofe honoured 
Name I have fo frequent Caufe to mention in the prefent Work, gave this 
among the Reft to the European Botany. His Lordftiip raifed the Shrub from 
the Fruit fent from New Tork, and it has now ftood fome Years the common 
Plantation in his Garden 5 flowering in vaft Profufion every Summer. Thofe 
who have feen the fair Shrub in this State, will not alk why I call it Snowy : 
the pure White of the ftreaming Spikes of Flowers, which hang from all its 
Branches, give full Caufe : and there is Ibmthing in the ftarry Difpofition, 
and wav’d Form of the Petals, which calls to Mind the falling Snow in a par- 
ticular Manner. 
It is a Shrub of Ten Feet high; thick fet with elegant green Leaves, inden- 
ted with a wonderful Regularity at their Edges : and the deep fhining Bark is 
no fmall additional Grace. The Characters of the Mespilus are ftrongly and 
particularly infcribed upon the Flower ; altho’ the Length and Waving of the 
Petals, the firft obvious Marks, appear very Angular. The Cup has flve Di- 
vifions; and the Petals anfwer to theLiNN^AN CharaCIer in Number, for they 
are five, but by no Means in Form. Subrotunda et concava, roundifti and 
hollowed, was an Exprelfion very proper in defcribing the Petals of the com- 
mon Kind, but by no Means applicable to thefe, which are oblong and undu- 
lated. The generical Characters do not reft upon fuch flight DiftinCtions ; 
and we may fee by this ’tis better not to admit them, for they fubjeCt theCharaCte- 
rifticks to Uncertainty. One is enough that is fixed and invariable, and the 
Dependence Ihould be alone on that. 
The numerous Filaments are inferred into the Cup, and this declares the 
Clafs of the Plant to be the Icosandria, They are too many for any of the 
Claffes eftablilhed by the Number of thefe Parts ; and they are regularly pro- 
portioned ; therefore the Place of their Infertion alone determines it. 
This Shrub may be made a very agreeable Article in Clumps and fmall Plan- 
tations, but as the Value of it will depend upon the frefh Green of the Leaves 
and the pure Colour of the Flowers, it muft have a free Air; and be kept from 
the Shade of larger T rees. In this Cafe the Leaves will retain their Verdure in full 
Perfeaion ; and the Flowers, tho’ they do not hold upon the Boughs quite fo 
long, will have much more Beauty ; for Shade turns them yellowifn foon after 
they are opened, and without a free Courfe of the Air the Leaves on the lower 
Part of the Plant foon wither. It would be ridiculous to trim it up to a Head; 
for one great Article of its Beauty is the wild Freedom of its Growth, and na- 
tural pendent Pofition of its Flowers among the loole and diftant Branches. 
SUN- 
