3 y [ 1858 ]
P Y R U S Aria.
White Beam-tree*
ICOSANDRIA Pcntagynia.
Gen. Char. Cal. 5-cleft. Petals 5. Apple inferior,
of from 2 to 5 cells. Seeds in pairs.
Spec. Char. Leaves simple, ovate, cut, serrated,
scored, downy beneath. Flowers corymbose, with
about two styles.
Syn. Pyrus Aria. Sm. FI. Brit. 534. Winch, v. 1. 47.
Crataegus Aria. Linn. Sp. PI. 681. Huds. 2 1 4 .
With. 4 5 8 . Hull. 109. Sibth. 155. Abbot. 108.
Mespilus alni folio subtus incano, Aria Theophrasti
dicta. Rail Syn. 4 5 3 .
XN mountainous woods, especially in the fissures of calcareous
rocks, flowering about May, and ripening fruit towards
October. It is a handsome small tree, much cultivated for
its beauty in home plantations, where it grows to a greater
height than on its native hills. The young branches, as well
as the stalks, calyx, and under side of the leaves, are white
with a mealy hoariness. Leaves on footstalks, alternate, ovate,
acute, doubly and irregularly cut and serrated, smooth, green,
with straight sunk veins above. Flowers in large, terminal,
compound corymbs. Petals white, longer than the stamens.
Styles two, often three or four. Fruit a scarlet, globose,
mealy, astringent apple, whose cells are coriaceous rather
than horny, agreeing with the styles in number, and each
containing two seeds.— A variety with more deeply cut leaves
than ordinary, found on a castle in Denbighshire, has been
taken for the Sorbus (rather Pyrus) hybrida of Linnaeus,
which latter is however found in the isle of Arran.
The Welch call this plant a lemon tree, whence that tender
exotic has been reported by ignorant travellers to grow on the
bleak crags of Penmaen Mawr. Surely such travellers might
be more usefully employed at home 1 Mr. Bingley has corrected
their error in his North Wales, v. 2. 390.
Id