PYRUS pinnatifida.
Bastard Mountain Ash.
1C0SANDRIA Pentagynia.
G en. Char. Cal. 5-clefTt. Petals 5. Apple inferior,
of from 2 to 5 cells. Seeds in pairs.
Spec. Char. Leaves deeply pinnatifid, or half pinnate,
downy beneath. Flowers corymbose, with
about three styles.
Syn. Pyrus pinnatifida. Ehrh. Beitr. fasc. 6. 9 3 .
Exsicc. n. 145.
P. hybrida. Sm.Fl.Brit. 5 3 4 . Hull. ed. 2 . 147.
Sorbus hybrida. Linn. Sp. PI. 6 8 4 . Huds. 2 1 6 .
With. 4 6 1 . Linn. Fil. fasc. 1. t. 6. FI. Dan.
t. 3 0 1 . not 3 0 2 .
H lJ D S O N admitted this tree into his Flora, solely_because
it was said to grow on the walls of castle Dinas y bran, Denbighshire
; but Dr. Prattinton having brought us specimens from
the spot, which proved P. Aria, t. 1858, a mark of doubt
was prefixed to the present species in FI. Brit. This doubt
however is since removed by wild specimens, sent by the late
Mr. J. Mackay, which he gathered in rocky parts of several
mountains at the north end of the isle of Arran, and which are
the true Linnsean Sorlus hylrida. For this we now gladly
adopt Elnhart’s most excellent name, published in 1791, nine
years before the FI. Brit, though till lately unknown to us. This
measure is become necessary, as Willdenow has another
Pyrus hybrida. We never scruple yielding to any authority
by which science is advanced, though we struggle, sometimes
in vain, against what deforms it.
The tree in question is more nearly allied in habit to P . Aria
than to aucuparia, t. 337, differing chiefly in having the leaves
deeply pinnatifid, and their lower half almost pinnate, whence
Linnaeus judged it a mule between these two species. It is
however propagated by seed and remains unaltered, being frequent
in gardens, flowering in May, and making a pretty appearance
with its dense tufts of scarlet fruit in August and
September.
(let.! ISn