600 ICOSANDRIA. PENTAGYNIA. Mes'pilus. 
( Fl.Ross . 13. 1 . E.)— Ludw. 88—Blackw. 154— (E. Bot. 1523. E.)— Ger. 
1264. 1 —Dod. 801. 1 —Lob. Ohs. 591. 1 —Ger. Em. 1453. l—Matth.253— 
Park. 1422. 2— J. B. i. a. 69— Trag. 1014— Lonic. i. 13. 1. 
(A tree of very unequal,, often humble and deformed, growth, spreading. 
Leaves four or five inches long, on short stalks, single-ribbed, assuming 
a handsome stellate form of growth. E.) Floral-leaf strap-shaped. 
Calyx fleshy, woolly within; teeth longer than the blossom. Stamens 
unequal, thirty or more. Summits cloven. Blossoms white, large. Fruit 
reddish brown, (depressed, concave at the top, austere till mellowed by 
keeping. In its wild state this tree is furnished with shining thorns, 
though when cultivated it is entirely without them. Roth and Hal. E.) 
Medlar Tree. (In all the hedges about Minshull, Cheshire. Mr. Du 
Bois. In Dill. About Ashburnham, Sussex, truly wild. Rev. J. Davies. 
Eng. FI. E.) T. May.* * 
(M. cotoneas'ter. Leaves elliptic-ovate, entire, downy beneath: 
gennen smooth : styles three or four. 
Hook. FI. Land. 207— FI. Dan. 112— Pall. Ross. t. 14— Craniz. Austr. t. 2 .f. 
1— Amman. Stwp. t. 34 — {Curt. Entom. pl. 129. E.) 
A small bush, with alternate, spreading or partly recumbent, round, leafy, 
brown, smooth branches; downy and somewhat angular when young. 
Leaves alternate, deciduous, an inch long, more or less; green, smooth. 
from the additional splendour it acquires by its oblong, smooth, and large, bright scarlet 
berries, it is propagated to enliven plantations. Yellow Haw is deemed an “ exquisite 
plant,” the buds at their first coming out in the spring are of a fine yellow, and the fruit 
is the colour of gold, and so continues all the winter. Maple-leaved Hawthorn has few 
thorns, larger leaves than common, succeeded by bunches of beautiful shining red berries. 
Nature seems to have peculiarly designed the double-blossomed kinds for the pleasure garden; 
they will blossom freely either as trees or dwarf shrubs, and nothing can be more attractive 
than the roseate hue of the pink kind. If such be the charms resulting from the general 
view of this plant in its plenitude of florescence to the common observer; neither will the more 
strict scrutiny of its particular parts in their original simplicity yield less gratification to the 
scientific student; for, as is remarked in the Sylva FJorifera, “ the Botanist looks into the 
flowers of the Hawthorn, not merely to notice the stigma and to count the stamens which 
surround it, but he observes the shape of the five petals, whose concave forms protect the 
pollen, and mature it by acting as reflectors. He then sees them bend over their stamens, 
and rest their heads of pollen on the stigma. He is delighted with the regularity with 
which they discharge their prolific powder, and retire to give place to other stamens, until 
the whole have performed their office without confusion. He knows then that the petals 
have accomplished their part towards the formation of the future plant, and he sees them 
given to the wind without regret, because he understands it is necessary for the young fruit 
to enjoy the juices of the plant, without their being spent any longer on the petals.” E.) 
* (This species and varieties are cultivated in gardens for the fruit. 
“ The Medlar , fruit delicious in decay.” Philips. 
“The Nottingham kind is considered, though smaller,preferable for richness and poignancy 
of flavour. When firm and sound. Medlars are of a singularly austere disagreeable taste ; 
yet having lain some time after being gathered, till they assume a state of decay and become 
soft, they acquire a flavour extremely agreeable to many, though to others altogether 
unpalatable. These fruits should be gathered towards the end of October or beginning of 
November, when some should be laid in moist bran, (in several layers), to forward their 
decay ; others on straw in the fruitery; those in the bran will begin to be ready for use in 
about a fortnight, and those laid on straw will come gradually forward in succession.” 
Encyc. Brit. In the North of England it rarely ripens its fruit, though it there blossoms 
freely. Winch, Geog. E.) 
