Trees, or some species shrubs, with simple leaves. Flowers large, showy, white or pink, in simple terminal cymes. Calyx urn-shaped, 5-lobed, the lobes acute. Hypanthium nearly closed by a disc-like cushion. Petals 5, rounded, short-clawed. Stamens usually numerous; styles mostly 5, distinct, or united only at the very base; ovules 2 in each cavity; carpels cartilaginous or leathery. Fruit a pome, usually pear-shaped, its flesh abounding in grit-cells. [Latin name of the pear.]

About 12 species, natives of the Old World, the following typical.

1. Pyrus Commùnis L. Pear. Choke Pear

Fig. 2320

Pyrus communis L. Sp. Pl. 479. 1753.

A tree, sometimes 60° high and with a trunk 2°-3° in diameter, commonly much smaller, the branches usually thorny. Leaves ovate, elliptic or obovate, finely serrulate or entire, slender-petioled, 1 1/2'-3' long, downy and ciliate when young, becoming glabrous or nearly so when old, the apex acute or acuminate, the base usually rounded; petioles sometimes as long as the blades or longer; cymes few-several-flowered, borne at the ends of short twigs of the preceding year; pedicels 9"-2' long, at first downy; flowers white, 1'-2' broad; calyx-lobes about as long as the tube; styles distinct to the base; pome, in the wild form, seldom over 2' long, in the numerous cultivated forms often much larger.

In thickets and woods, Maine to New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, escaped from cultivation. Native of Europe and Asia. Wood hard, fine-grained, reddish-brown; weight per cubic foot 51 lbs. April-May.

3. MÀLUS Mill. Gard. Dict. Abr. Ed. 4. 1754.

Trees or shrubs, with alternate toothed or lobed leaves, and showy pink or white flowers in simple terminal cymes. Calyx-tube urn-shaped or campanulate, 5-lobed. Hypanthium open, not closed by a cushion. Petals 5, rounded, clawed. Styles 2-5 (usually 5), united at the base; ovules 2 in each cavity, carpels papery or leathery. Fruit a pome, usually depressed-globose, mostly hollowed at the base, but sometimes rounded, its flesh not containing grit-cells. [Greek, apple.]

About 15 species, natives of the north temperate zone. Besides the following, another occurs in northwestern America. Type species: Pyrus Malus L.