PYRUS INTERMEDIA, Swedish Whitebeam
- Pyrus intermedia, Ehrhart, Beiträge zur Naturkunde, iv. 20 (1789); Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit. ii. 915(1838).
- Pyrus scandica, Ascherson, Fl. des Prov. Brandenburg, i. 207 (1864).
- Pyrus suecica, Garcke, Fl. Deutschland, ed. ix. 140 (1869); Conwentz, Beob. über Seltene Waldbäume in West Preussen, 81 (1895).
- Sorbus scandica, Fries, Flora Hollandica, 83 (1818).
- Sorbus intermedia, Persoon, Syn. Pl. ii. 38 (1807).
- Sorbus Mougeoti, Soyer-Willemet et Godron, Bull. Soc. Bot. de France, v. 447 (1858).
- Cratægus Aria scandica, Linnæus, Amœn. Acad. 190 (1751).
- Cratægus Aria suecica, Linnæus, Sp. Pl. 476 (1753).
A shrub or small tree attaining a height of 20 to 50 feet. Leaves stalked, oval or elliptic, rounded or cuneate at the base, pointed at the apex; margin lobed, lobes diminishing in size from the base upwards, rounded, toothed, shortly acuminate, separated by sinuses which are very acute or almost closed at their bases; upper surface green, shining, glabrous when adult, lower surface greyish tomentose. Flowers in branching corymbs, with pleasant odour; petals spreading, tomentose; styles 2, free, tomentose at the base. Fruit oval, red, sweet-flavoured, smooth or slightly dotted.
Varieties
1. Scandica.[1] Leaves less narrowed and almost rounded at the base, deeply lobed, with numerous sharp teeth; 6-8 pairs of nerves. Fruits large, surmounted by the curved and outwardly-reflected calyx teeth.
2. Mougeoti.[2] Leaves narrowed at the base, slightly lobed, with few short teeth; nerves 9–12 pairs. Fruit very small, surmounted by erect and inwardly-curved calyx teeth.
3. Minima.[3] Leaves linear-oblong, with 3–4 pairs of lobes, variable in size, but generally deepest at the middle part of the leaf; nerves 6–8 pairs. Flowers—early in June—in loose corymbs, not flat-topped, small, and resembling those of Pyrus Aucuparia. Fruit small, globose, bright red, surmounted by erect calyx lobes.
In Plate 44 figures are given of the leaves of var. scandica from Bergen (Fig. 19), of the variety from Great Doward in Hereford (Fig. 10), and of var. minima from Breconshire (Fig. 17).
Identification
In summer the greyish tomentum of the leaves underneath, and the rounded lobes, with sharp sinuses which are almost closed at their bases, will distinguish the
