  The Rose family with about 90 genera and 1,500 species is one of the largest and most important families of plants, including the apple, pear, cherry, plum, quince, raspberry, blackberry, and strawberry. About 90 species, 30 or more of which are trees, are found in West Virginia. The genera which include our tree species are given below: Pyrus, (pp. 143, 145).—This genus comprises about 40 species of trees and shrubs, 10 of which are native to North America and 2 or more to West Virginia. The apple and pear, introduced from Europe, are placed by some authors under the genus Malus, and Mountain Ash under the genus Sorbus. The latter is included under Pyrus in this bulletin. The European Mountain Ash (Pyrus aucuparia, (L.) Ehrh.) is often planted for ornamental purposes. Amelanchier, (page 147).—The Juneberry species number about 30. About 23 of these are found in North America, 6 of which attain tree size. Besides the species described herein, variety botryapium has been reported from Preston County and a specimen collected in Tucker County has been pronounced by Dr. C. S. Sargent as the recently-named Amelanchier laeris. A shrubby species (Amelanchier oligocarpa, (Michx.) Roem.) is found in Tucker and Pocahontas counties. Crataegus, (pp. 149, 151).—A few species of this genus occur in Europe and Asia, but most of them are native to North America. About 700 species of Thorns have been described. According to some authorities there are fewer species than have been described, while others affirm there are many yet to be found. Millspaugh’s Flora of West Virginia lists 22 species, and the writer has collected several additional species that have been examined and identified by Eggleston and others. Because the Thorns are of little commercial importance and are very difficult to identify only 2 species are described in this bulletin. Prunus.—This genus includes the Plums and Cherries. Of the 100 or more species distributed in Asia, Europe and America, about 30 are native in the United States, and 4 or 5 are found in West Virginia. KEY TO THE SPECIES OF PRUNUS
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