[ 29^ ]
CRATÆGUS torminalis,
3 a
Wild Service 'Tree.
I C O S A N D R I A Digynia.
Gen. Char. Cal. in 5 fegments. Petals 5. Berry inferior,
with a feeds.
Spec. Char. Leaves fomewhat heart-fhaped, ferrated,
feven-lobed ; the lower lobes divaricating.
Syn. Cratægus torminalis. Linn. Sj>. PL 681. Hudf,
FI. An. 214. With. Bot. Arr. 511. Sibth. Ox. 156.
Mefpilus Apii folio fylveftris non fpinofa, feu Sorbus
torminalis. Rail Syn. 453.
nr X H I S t r e e is m o ft f r e q u e n t in th e n o r th -w e f t an d m id la n d
c o u n t ie s , th o u g h a lfo fo u n d h e r e a n d th e r e in E f fe x , S u f fo lk ,
a n d N o r fo lk . W e r e c e iv e d it w i ld f r om M r . W o o d w a r d .
I t is o f co n fid e ra b le f i z e , h u t o f f lo w g r o w th , an d th e w o o d
is c o n fe q u e n t ly h a rd . T h e b a r k is fm o o th a n d a lh - c o lo u r e d .
Y o u n g b ra n ch e s g r e e n a n d f lig h t ly d o w n y , c lo th e d w i th a lte r n
a te h a n d fom e fm o o th le a v e s , o f a firm n o t fu c c u le n t fu b f t a n c e ,
a lw a y s m o r e o r le f s • a c c u r a t e ly 7 - lo b e d , r e t ic u la te d w i th fm a ll
v e in s , fe r r a t e d , d e c id u o u s . F lo w e r s n um e r o u s , in la r g e te r m
in a l c ym o fe p a n ic le s , a p p e a r in g e a r ly in M a y ; th e i r f lo w e r -
f ta lk s a n d c a ly x d o w n y ; p e ta ls c r e am - c o lo u r e d ; f ty le s 3 , 4 , o r
5 , an d th e fe e d s in p r o p o r t io n , an in f ta n c e (am o n g m a n y o th e r s )
h o w v e r y ill- fo u n d e d th e o rd e r s a n d g e n e r a a re o f L inm e u s ’ s
Icofandria Digynia, Trigynia, a n d Pentagynia, a s H a l le r an d h is
d ifc ip le s lo n g a g o c o n te n d e d .
T h e f r u i t o f th is t r e e r ip e n s la t e in a u tum n , a n d fo rm s
p a n ic le s o f b r o w n p u n c ta t e d b e r r ie s , la r g e r th a n th o fe o f th e
H a w th o r n , w h i c h , w h e n th e f r o f l h a s to u c h e d th em , a re o f an
e x c e e d in g ly p le a fa n t a c id fla v o u r , a n d a re fom e t im e s fo ld in th e
L o n d o n f r u i t - fh o p s . T h e y a re e f te em e d ft r e n g th e n in g to th e
f tom a c h a n d b o w e ls . O ld T r a g u s , w h o fe f ig u r e s an d th e ir a c c
om p a n im e n t s fom e t im e s e x p r e f s th e v ir tu e s o f p la n t s w i t h
m o r e t ru th th a n d e c o rum , g iv e s a lu d ic r o u s e x h ib it io n o f tw o
li t t le b o y s u n d e r th is k in d o f S e r v ic e t r e e , p . 1 0 1 0 , in o rd e r
to i l lu f t r a t e it s (a p p a r e n t ly v e r y p o w e r fu l ) e f fe c ls in e x p e l l in g
w o rm s .