snowy white beneath, it exhibits a great variety of forms in the wild state, explained by its wide geographical distribution and its occurrence on different soils and in different situations. Moreover, various horticultural varieties have been produced. The type has been described above; the following is a list of the most important varieties:—
1. Var. rupicola.[1] Differs from the type in the leaves having fewer nerves, generally 7 (5–9) pairs, less prominent; obovate-oblong in shape, widest above the middle, lobulate above, with the tomentum ultimately becoming slightly grey. Fruit smaller, 3⁄8 inch diameter, carmine-scarlet. This variety occurs always on limestone rocks, and is recorded from many stations in the British Isles. It is probably a form due to poor soil and exposure to wind, and other uncongenial conditions.
2. Var. græca, Boissier.[2] A shrub occurring in Spain, Albania, Greece, Syria, and Asia Minor. Leaves round, thick, almost leathery in consistence, nerves 6-10 pairs, broad, cuneate at the base, lobulate, with large teeth in the upper two-thirds. This form is also known as Sorbus cretica, Fritsch, and Aria græca, Decaisne.
3. Var. flabellifolia.[3] Leaves orbicular, cuneate, or rounder at the base, margin with large incisions, sharply toothed, nerves 3-5 pairs. South-eastern Europe and Asia Minor.
4. Var, Decaisneana, Rehder.[4] Leaves large, 4-6 inches long by 2–3½ broad, elliptic or oblong, narrow or acuminate at the apex, rounded or subcordate at the base, serrate in almost the whole margin with sharp teeth; nerves 12–14 pairs; petiole channelled above, nearly an inch long. Flowers first white, then becoming pinkish; styles glabrous. Fruit purplish, ellipsoid, crowned by the persistent hairy sepals. This tree is of unknown origin; it has been said to be Himalayan, but I am not aware on what authority. It closely resembles Pyrus lanata from that region.
5. Var. sinensis. Leaves narrow, lanceolate or ovate, with acuminate apex and cuneate base; crenately serrate. A series of forms occur in the mountains of Hupeh in China, where the trees are common at high elevations, and vary in size from 10 to 40 feet in height. Seeds were sent home by Wilson to Messrs. Veitch in 1901, and seedlings, very beautiful in foliage and vigorous in growth, are now growing at Coombe Wood.
6. Var. salicifolia. Leaves narrow, ovate-lanceolate, doubly serrate in margin, with long petioles. Origin unknown.
7. Certain horticultural varieties occur in which the leaves are variously coloured, as lutescens, chrysophylla, sulphurea.
8. Var. quercoides. Leaves regularly lobed with their edges bent upwards.
Pyrus Hostii,[5] Hort., may here be mentioned, as it occurs in cultivation and
- ↑ Pyrus rupicola, Boswell Syme, Eng. Bot. ed. 3, t. 483.
- ↑ Flora Orientalis, ii. 658. There is a form in south-east Europe called meriodionalis, which differs only slightly from this variety.
- ↑ Cratægus flabellifolia, Spach, Hist. Vég. Phan. ii. 103.
- ↑ Rehder in Cyclop. Am. Hort. iv. 1689 (1902). Aria Decaisneana, Lavallée, Arbor. Segrez. p. 51. t. 18. Pyrus Decaisneana, Nicholson, Kew Hand-list of Trees and Shrubs, 187 (1894). Sorbus Decaisneana, Zabel, Handbuch Laubholz-Benennung, 199 (1903).
- ↑ Figured in Garden, 1881, xx. 376.
