XVIII. MACRACANTHÆ.
Tomentosæ Sarg.
CONSPECTUS OF THE ARBORESCENT SPECIES.
Leaves thin, with midrib and veins only slightly impressed on their upper surface; anthers rose color or red. Mature leaves pale pubescent below. Leaves ovate to ovate-oblong; fruit in erect clusters, obovoid, orange-red; stamens 20.140. [C. tomentosa] (A, C). Leaves ovate, oval, or obovate, in drooping clusters, globose to subglobose, bright red or orange-red; stamens 5—10.141. [C. Chapmanii] (A, C). Mature leaves glabrous (slightly pubescent on the midrib and veins below in 142). Stamens 20. Leaves elliptic to suborbicular, smooth above; fruit in drooping clusters, subglobose to short-oblong.142. [C. Gaultii] (A). Leaves elliptic, scabrate above; fruit in erect clusters, subglobose.143. [C. vegeta] (A). Stamens 10; leaves ovate, scabrate above; fruit short-oblong.144. [C. Deweyana] (A). Leaves subcoriaceous to coriaceous, with midrib and veins deeply impressed on their upper surface and pubescent below. Anthers rose color. Stamens 20. Leaves elliptic, acute at the ends; fruit globose.145. [C. succulenta] (A). Leaves broadly oval or obovate; fruit subglobose to short-oblong.146. [C. gemmosa] (A). Stamens 10. Leaves broad-obovate or oval; fruit globose, villose at the ends; calyx-lobes coarsely glandular-serrate.147. [C. illinoiensis] (A). Leaves broad-obovate to oval or rhombic; fruit subglobose; calyx-lobes entire.148. [C. integriloba] (A). Anthers yellow; stamens 10; leaves broad-obovate to elliptic or oval; fruit in erect clusters, globose.149. [C. macracantha] (A).
140. [Cratægus tomentosa] L.
Leaves ovate, oblong-ovate, rhombic or elliptic, acute, acuminate or rarely rounded at apex, gradually narrowed to the cuneate entire base, sharply and usually doubly serrate above with broad spreading usually glandular teeth, and often divided above the middle into several short lateral lobes, nearly fully grown when the flowers open from the 1st to the middle of June, and at maturity thin and firm, gray-green, coated below with pale persistent pubescence, puberulous or ultimately glabrous above, conspicuously reticulate-venulose, 2′—5′ long, and 1′—3′ wide, with a broad midrib and slender primary veins; turning brilliant orange and scarlet in the autumn before falling; petioles stout, glandular, wing-margined, ½′—¾′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots sometimes broad-obovate to semiorbicular, rounded and abruptly short-pointed at apex, rounded at base, and 3′—4′ long and wide; more often oblong-obovate, acuminate, and 5′—6′ in length. Flowers ½′ in diameter, on slender villose pedicels, in villose corymbs; calyx-tube obconic, hoary-tomentose, the lobes lanceolate, acute, coarsely or pinnately serrate, usually glandular, stamens 20; anthers pale rose color; styles 2—5. Fruit ripening in October, on slender erect pubescent pedicels, in broad many-fruited clusters, obovoid or rarely subglobose, ½′ in diameter, erect, dull orange-red, translucent when fully ripe, mostly persistent on the branches until the following spring; flesh thick, orange-yellow, sweet and succulent; nutlets about ¼′ long and broad, rounded at the ends, the ventral cavities broad and deep.
A tree, 15°—20° high, with a trunk 5′—6′ in diameter, covered with smooth pale gray or dark brown furrowed bark, slender spreading often nearly horizontal smooth gray branches forming a wide flat head, and slender branchlets covered when they first appear with thick hoary tomentum, becoming dark orange color and puberulous in their first winter, and ashy gray in their second season, and unarmed, or armed with occasional slender straight dull ashy gray or very rarely bright chestnut-brown spines 1′—1½′ long.
Distribution. Near Troy, Rensselaer County, New York, westward through New York to southwestern Ontario, through Ohio, southern Michigan, Indiana and Illinois to central Minnesota and southward to Pennsylvania and along the Appalachian Mountains to northeastern Georgia, and to central Iowa, northeastern Missouri to the valley of the Meramec River, and to eastern Kansas; near Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee; in the neighborhood of Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia; and in Dallas County, Alabama (R. S. Cocks).
Occasionally cultivated as an ornamental tree in the gardens of western Europe.
141. [Cratægus Chapmanii] Ashe.
Cratægus mollita Sarg.
Leaves ovate, oval, or obovate, acuminate, gradually narrowed and acute or concave-cuneate at the entire base, sharply serrate above with glandular teeth, and often slightly lobed above the middle, about half grown when the flowers open early in June and then covered above with short soft pale hairs and pale-tomentose below, and at maturity dark dull green and smooth or scabrate above, pale-tomentulose below, especially on the slender yellow midrib and primary veins, 2½′—3′ long, and 1½′—2½′ wide; turning yellow or brown in the autumn before falling; petioles stout, wing-margined at apex, tomentose early in the season, becoming nearly glabrous, ½′—¾′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots sometimes 6′ long and 4′ wide. Flowers about ⅜′ in diameter, on long stout hoary-tomentose or pubescent pedicels, in broad many-flowered tomentose corymbs; calyx-tube narrowly obconic, tomentose, the lobes acuminate, glandular-serrate, sparingly villose; stamens 10; anthers rose color; styles 2 or 3. Fruit ripening the middle of September, on elongated slightly villose pedicels, in broad lax drooping many-fruited clusters, globose to subglobose, bright red, about ⅝′ in diameter; calyx only slightly enlarged, with reflexed coarsely glandular-serrate lobes; flesh juicy, succulent, yellow; nutlets 2 or 3, about ¾′ long and nearly as broad, thin, rounded at the obtuse ends, rounded and obscurely ridged on the back, the ventral cavities broad and deep.
A tree, sometimes 20° high, with a short trunk 6′—8′ in diameter, covered with gray scaly bark, erect branches forming a broad open head, and slender branchlets hoary-tomentose early in the season, becoming bright red-brown and lustrous, and armed with occasional stout straight or curved bright chestnut-brown spines 1½′—2′ long.
Distribution. Banks of streams in the Appalachian region from Virginia to northern Georgia and eastern Tennessee; in southern Missouri (Taney County, C. mollita).
142. [Cratægus Gaultii] Sarg.
Leaves elliptic to suborbicular, acute or rounded at apex, concave-cuneate or rounded at the entire base, coarsely doubly serrate above with straight glandular teeth, and occasionally divided above the middle into short acute lobes, nearly fully grown when the flowers open at the end of May and then very thin, yellow-green and sparingly villose above, pale and slightly pubescent below, and at maturity thin and firm in texture, glabrous, dark dull green on the upper surface, pale on the lower surface, 2½′—3′ long, and 2′—2¾′ wide, with a stout yellow midrib deeply impressed above, and 6 or 7 pairs of primary veins extending obliquely to the point of the lobes; petioles stout, wing-margined to below the middle, villose on the upper side early in the season with matted white hairs, becoming nearly glabrous, ½′—1′ in length. Flowers ⅝′ in diameter, on long slender slightly villose pedicels, in broad many-flowered hairy corymbs, their bracts and bractlets linear, acuminate, glandular, mostly persistent until the flowers open; calyx-tube narrowly obconic, glabrous, the lobes broad, acuminate, coarsely glandular-serrate, glabrous on the outer, villose on the inner surface; stamens 18—20; anthers pale pink; styles 2 or 3. Fruit ripening from the middle to the end of September, on slender slightly hairy pedicels, in few-fruited drooping clusters, subglobose to short-oblong, ½′—⅝′ long; calyx prominent, with spreading appressed coarsely serrate lobes; flesh thick, yellow, soft and juicy; nutlets 2 or 3, rounded at the ends, about 3/16′ long and nearly as wide, the ventral cavities long, deep, and narrow.
A tree, 20°—25° high, with a trunk often 10′ in diameter and 6°—7° long, spreading branches forming a broad round-topped head, and slender slightly zigzag glabrous light red-brown lustrous branchlets, unarmed, or armed with occasional straight slender dark purple shining spines 1¼′—1¾′ long.
Distribution. Open pastures, Milton Township and Gleneilyn, Du Page County, and Mokena, Will County, northeastern Illinois.
143. [Cratægus vegeta] Sarg.
Leaves elliptic, acuminate, gradually narrowed and concave-cuneate at the entire base, finely often doubly serrate above, with straight glandular teeth, and slightly divided above the middle into numerous short acute lobes, nearly fully grown when the flowers open at the end of May and then membranaceous, dark yellow-green and roughened above by short rigid pale hairs and densely pubescent below, and at maturity thin and firm in texture, dark dull green and scabrate on the upper surface, pale and pubescent on the lower surface on the slender midrib, and 5 or 6 pairs of thin primary veins arching obliquely to the point of the lobes, 3′—4′ long, and 1¾′—2½′ wide; petioles slender, broadly wing-margined at apex, villose on the upper side early in the season, becoming glabrous and rose color in the autumn, ½′—¾′ long. Flowers ⅝′—¾′ in diameter, on long slender villose pedicels, in usually 10—12-flowered hairy corymbs, with linear to linear-obovate acute glandular bracts and bractlets becoming reddish and mostly persistent until after the flowers open; calyx-tube narrowly obconic, villose, the lobes slender, acuminate, glandular-serrate, villose; stamens 20; anthers small, light pink or red; styles 2 or 3, usually 3. Fruit ripening late in September, on slender elongated rigid slightly villose pedicels, in few-fruited erect clusters, subglobose, scarlet, lustrous, marked by small pale dots, about ⅜′ in diameter; calyx prominent, with a short tube and spreading reflexed serrate lobes; flesh thin, yellow, dry and mealy; nutlets 2 or 3, ¼′ long and nearly as broad, full and rounded at the ends, the ventral cavities broad and deep.
A tree, 20°—25° high, with a tall straight trunk sometimes 8′ in diameter, stout wide-spreading branches forming a symmetrical round-topped head, and very slender nearly straight branchlets, light orange-green when they first appear, becoming bright red-brown and lustrous at the end of their first season and darker the following year, and unarmed, or sparingly armed with slender nearly straight purple shining spines about 4′ long.
Distribution. Oak-woods in moist rich soil near the banks of the Calumet River, Calumet, Cook County, Illinois.
144. [Cratægus Deweyana] Sarg.
Leaves ovate, acuminate or abruptly long-pointed at apex, abruptly narrowed and concave-cuneate at the entire often unsymmetric base, coarsely doubly serrate above with straight or incurved gland-tipped teeth, and slightly divided above the middle into several pairs of small acuminate spreading lobes, about one third grown when the flowers open during the last week of May and then membranaceous, dark yellow-green, and covered above with short lustrous white hairs, and light yellow-green and glabrous below, and at maturity thin, yellow-green and scabrate on the upper surface, pale on the lower surface, 3′—4′ long, and 2′—2¾′ wide, with a stout midrib deeply impressed on the upper side, and 6 or 7 pairs of thin primary veins arching to the point of the lobes; petioles stout, wing-margined at apex, deeply grooved, sparingly villose on the upper side, soon glabrous, glandular with occasional minute dark glands, usually dull orange color in the autumn, ¾′—1′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots more deeply lobed and more coarsely serrate, subcoriaceous, often 4′ long and 3½′ wide, and gradually narrowed into stout broad-winged coarsely glandular petioles, their stipules foliaceous, stipitate, lunate, acutely lobed, glandular-serrate with minute dark red glands, sometimes ½′ long, persistent through the season. Flowers about ½′ in diameter, on slender hairy pedicels, in wide lax slightly villose corymbs; calyx-tube narrowly obconic, villose at base, glabrous above, the lobes slender, elongated, acuminate, finely glandular-serrate usually only above the middle, dark green and glabrous on the outer surface, villose on the inner surface; stamens 7—10, usually 10; anthers small, dark rose color; styles 2 or 3, usually 2. Fruit ripening from the first to the middle of October and falling a few weeks later, on long slender puberulous pedicels, in wide many-fruited drooping clusters, subglobose to short-oblong, rounded at the ends, scarlet, lustrous, marked by occasional large pale dots, ½′ in diameter; calyx prominent, with elongated glandular-serrate lobes dark red on the upper side near the base, usually erect and incurved, mostly persistent on the ripe fruit; flesh when fully ripe thick, yellow and sweet; nutlets usually 2, occasionally 3, about 3/16′ long and ⅛′ wide, rounded at the ends, rounded and conspicuously ridged on the back, the ventral cavities broad and shallow.
A tree, 20°—25° high, with a tall trunk sometimes 10′ in diameter, covered with light gray bark becoming rough and scaly near the base, slender branches, the lower horizontal and wide-spreading, the upper ascending and forming a wide open irregular head, and stout glabrous branchlets dark orange-brown when they first appear, deep red-brown and lustrous on the upper, gray-brown and lustrous on the lower side during their first winter, becoming gray slightly tinged with red the following year, and armed with numerous stout curved chestnut-brown or purple spines 1½′—2′ long and occasionally persistent on old stems.
Distribution. Western and central New York; Hagaman swamp near Rochester, and Rush, Monroe County, Portage, Livingston County, Castile and Silver Springs, Wyoming County, and near Ithaca, Thompkins County; not common.
145. [Cratægus succulenta] Link.
Leaves elliptic, acute or acuminate at apex, gradually narrowed from near the middle to the entire base, coarsely and usually doubly serrate above with spreading glandular teeth, and divided above the middle into numerous short acute lobes, nearly fully grown when the flowers open at the end of May or early in June and then membranaceous, covered above with soft pale hairs, and puberulous or rarely nearly glabrous below, and at maturity coriaceous, dark green, glabrous and somewhat lustrous above, pale yellow-green and mostly puberulous below on the stout yellow midrib, and 4—7 pairs of slender veins extending obliquely to the point of the lobes and deeply impressed on the upper side, usually 2′—2½′ long and 1′—1½′ wide; petioles stout, more or less winged above, frequently bright red after midsummer, generally about ½′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots occasionally ovate, and often 2½′ long and 3′ wide. Flowers about ⅔′ in diameter, on long slender hairy pedicels, in broad lax villose corymbs; calyx-tube narrowly obconic, villose or glabrous, the lobes broad, acute, laciniate, glandular with bright red glands, and generally villose; stamens usually 20, sometimes 15; anthers small, rose color; styles 2 or 3, surrounded at base by a ring of pale hairs. Fruit beginning to ripen about the middle of September and sometimes remaining on the branches until the end of October, on slender elongated pedicels, in broad loose many-fruited drooping clusters, globose, bright scarlet, marked by large pale dots, ½′—⅔′ in diameter; calyx prominent, with a broad shallow depression, and much enlarged coarsely serrate closely appressed persistent lobes; flesh thick, yellow, becoming juicy, sweet and pulpy; nutlets 2 or 3, ⅓′ long, ¼′ broad, prominently ridged on the back, the ventral cavities wide and deep.
A tree, occasionally 20° high, with a short trunk 5′—6′ in diameter, covered with dark red-brown scaly bark, stout ascending branches forming a broad irregular head, and stout more or less zigzag glabrous dark orange-brown lustrous branchlets becoming dull gray-brown in their second season and ultimately ashy gray, and armed with numerous stout slightly curved bright chestnut-brown shining spines 1½′—2½′ long; or usually shrubby and much smaller, and often flowering when only a few feet high.
Distribution. Coast of northeastern Massachusetts; southwestern Vermont; eastern and western New York; near London, Ontario; widely distributed in Pennsylvania; northeastern Illinois.
146. [Cratægus gemmosa] Sarg.
Leaves broad-oval or rarely broad-obovate, gradually narrowed and cuneate or occasionally rounded at the entire base, sharply and usually doubly serrate from below the middle with straight glandular teeth, and often slightly lobed toward the acute or acuminate apex with short acute lobes, dark red and villose as they unfold, nearly fully grown when the flowers open from the middle to the end of May and then membranaceous, light yellow-green, nearly glabrous above and pale and villose below, and at maturity thick and firm in texture, very dark dull green on the upper surface, pale on the lower surface and pubescent on the under side of the stout yellow midrib deeply impressed and occasionally puberulous above, and on the 4 or 5 pairs of slender primary veins extending obliquely to the end of the leaf, 1½′—2½′ long, and 1′—2′ wide; petioles stout, villose or pubescent, more or less winged above, glandular while young with minute bright red caducous glands, usually pink in the autumn, ¼′—½′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots more coarsely serrate, frequently divided into short acute lateral lobes, and often 4′ long and 3′ wide, with a rose-colored midrib and stout spreading primary veins. Flowers ½′—¾′ in diameter, on slender hairy pedicels, in broad open compound villose many-flowered corymbs, with lanceolate or oblanceolate acuminate glandular-serrate conspicuous bracts and bractlets; calyx-tube narrowly obconic, more or less villose with matted pale hairs, or nearly glabrous, the lobes lanceolate, acuminate, glabrous or villose on the outer surface, villose on the inner surface, coarsely glandular-serrate with bright red glands; stamens 20; anthers small, rose color; styles 2 or 3, surrounded at the base by a narrow ring of pale tomentum. Fruit ripening early in October and becoming very succulent just before falling, on long slender pedicels, in drooping many-fruited glabrous or puberulous clusters, subglobose to short-oblong, scarlet, lustrous, ½′ in diameter; calyx prominent, with an elongated narrow tube, and reflexed villose lobes bright red toward the base on the upper side; flesh thick, bright yellow, sweet and succulent; nutlets usually 3, or 2, ¼′ long, broad and flat, full and rounded at the ends, ridged on the back with a prominent rounded ridge, the ventral cavities broad and deep.
A tree, occasionally 30° high, with a tall trunk 10′—12′ in diameter, covered with dark brown scaly bark, stout spreading or ascending branches forming a broad rather open symmetrical head, stout zigzag glabrous red-brown or gray-brown lustrous branchlets armed with straight or slightly curved thick chestnut-brown spines usually about 2′ long, and winter-buds sometimes ¼′ in diameter.
Distribution. Rich forest glades, or the margins of woods, usually in low rich soil; eastern New York, near Albany, Albany County; western New York (Munroe and Livingston Counties); southern Ontario (La Salle on the Niagara River and near London); northwestern Ohio (Oak Harbor, Ottawa County); southern Michigan; common; Illinois (Calumet, Cook County, and Manley, Fulton County); southern Wisconsin (Waukesha, Waukesha County and near Madison, Dane County).
147. [Cratægus illinoiensis] Ashe.
Leaves broad-obovate to oval, rounded or rarely acute at the wide apex, broad-cuneate and entire at the base, coarsely and often doubly serrate above, with straight or incurved teeth tipped with minute deciduous glands, and sometimes slightly and irregularly divided toward the apex into short acute lobes, when they unfold covered below with a thick coat of hoary tomentum and pilose above, and when the flowers open about the 20th of May membranaceous, yellow-green, covered above with short pale hairs and pubescent below, and at maturity thick and firm in texture, dark green and glabrous on the upper surface, pale and pubescent on the lower surface, particularly on the stout midrib and 4—6 pairs of primary veins deeply impressed on the upper side, 2′—2½′ long, and 1½′—2′ wide; petioles stout, slightly winged toward the apex, generally bright red below the middle after midsummer, and usually ½′—⅔′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots usually elliptic, acute or acuminate, more coarsely dentate and more often lobed, sometimes decurrent nearly to the base of the stout petiole, 3′—4′ long, and 2½′—3′ wide. Flowers about ⅝′ in diameter, on slender slightly hairy pedicels, in broad compact villose corymbs; calyx-tube narrowly obconic, coated with long matted pale hairs, the lobes broad, acuminate, very coarsely glandular-serrate with large stipitate bright red glands, glabrous on the outer surface except at the base, villose on the inner surface; stamens 10; anthers rose color; styles 2 or usually 3. Fruit ripening early in October and persistent on the branches until after the beginning of winter, on stout bright red pedicels, in few-fruited drooping villose clusters, globose, scarlet, lustrous, marked by occasional dark dots, more or less villose at the ends, ½′ in diameter; calyx prominent, with a short villose tube, and spreading lobes gradually narrowed from a broad base, sparingly glandular-serrate or nearly entire, villose, mostly deciduous before the fruit ripens; flesh thin, yellow, dry and mealy; nutlets 2 or 3, ¼′ long, broad and thick, rounded at the ends, the ventral cavities broad and deep.
A tree, rarely more than 18° high, with a trunk 4′—5′ in diameter, covered with thin close bark broken on the surface into pale plate-like scales, and divided into several long erect and spreading slender branches forming a wide open-topped head, and stout somewhat zigzag branchlets covered at first with scattered pale caducous hairs, bright orange-brown and lustrous during their first season, becoming dark brown in their second year and ultimately ashy gray, and armed with numerous slender straight or curved bright chestnut-brown shining spines 1½′—3′ long.
Distribution. Open woods along the gravelly banks of small streams in Stark and Peoria Counties, Illinois; not common.
148. [Cratægus integriloba] Sarg.
Leaves broad-obovate, oval or rhombic, acute, gradually or abruptly narrowed below the middle, entire at the cuneate base, coarsely doubly serrate above with spreading glandular teeth, and irregularly divided into numerous short acute or acuminate lobes, coated in early spring with soft pale caducous hairs, nearly fully grown when the flowers open during the first week in June, and at maturity glabrous, thin and firm in texture, dark green and lustrous on the upper surface, pale yellow-green on the lower surface, 1½′—2′ long, and 1′—1½′ wide, with a slender midrib often dark red at the base, and 4—6 pairs of slender primary veins deeply impressed on the upper side; petioles stout, more or less broadly winged toward the apex, at first puberulous, soon glabrous, often red on the lower side, ⅓′—¾′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots more coarsely serrate, more deeply lobed, often 3′ long and 2½′ wide, with stout broadly winged petioles. Flowers ¾′ in diameter, on long slender villose pedicels, in broad open crowded villose corymbs; calyx-tube broadly obconic, coated toward the base with long matted white hairs and glabrous above, the lobes linear-lanceolate, elongated, entire or very rarely furnished with occasional caducous glands; stamens 10; anthers large, rose color; styles 2 or 3, surrounded at base by a narrow ring of snow-white hairs. Fruit ripening at the end of September or early in October, on short stout pedicels, in drooping or erect many-fruited slightly villose clusters, subglobose, bright scarlet, lustrous, marked by large pale dots, ⅓′—½′ in diameter; calyx enlarged, prominent, with elongated entire lobes, dark red on the upper side at base, much reflexed and persistent; flesh thin, yellow, sweet and pulpy; nutlets 2 or 3, about ¼′ long, thick and broad, rounded at the narrow ends, the ventral cavities broad and deep.
A tree, occasionally 18°—20° high, with a straight erect trunk 6′—8′ in diameter, wide-spreading or erect branches forming an open irregular head, and stout nearly straight or occasionally slightly zigzag glabrous branchlets, lustrous and red-brown or orange-brown during their first summer and ultimately dull ashy gray, and armed with stout nearly straight bright chestnut-brown shining spines 1½′—2½′ long and often pointed toward the base of the branch.
Distribution. Low limestone ridges, Province of Quebec, south of the St. Lawrence River near the Lachine Rapids, and at Caughnawaga, Rockfield, and Adirondack Junction.
149. [Cratægus macracantha] Koehne.
Leaves broad-obovate to elliptic or oval, acute or rounded and sometimes short-pointed at apex, gradually or abruptly narrowed and cuneate at the entire base, coarsely and often doubly serrate above with straight or incurved gland-tipped teeth, and usually divided above the middle into numerous short acute or acuminate lobes, when they unfold often bright red and coated on the upper surface with soft pale hairs, more than half grown when the flowers open late in May and then dull yellow-green, nearly glabrous on the upper surface and pale and puberulous on the lower surface, and at maturity coriaceous, dark green and glabrous above, frequently puberulous below on the midrib, and on the 4—6 pairs of slender primary veins extending obliquely to the point of the lobes and deeply impressed on the upper side, usually 2′—2½′ long and 1½′—2′ wide; petioles stout, more or less winged above, frequently bright red after midsummer and usually about ½′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots often broad and rounded at base, coarsely dentate, 3′—4′ long, and 2½′—3′ wide. Flowers about ¾′ in diameter, on long slender hairy pedicels, in broad more or less villose corymbs; calyx-tube narrowly obconic, more or less villose or nearly glabrous, the lobes long, narrow, acuminate, glandular with minute dark glands, glabrous on the outer surface, slightly villose on the inner surface; stamens usually 10, occasionally 8—12; anthers pale yellow; styles 2—3, surrounded at the base by a broad ring of hoary tomentum. Fruit ripening at the end of September and often remaining on the branches for several weeks longer, on erect slender pedicels, in broad open many-fruited usually slightly villose clusters, globose, often hairy at the ends until nearly ripe, crimson, very lustrous, ¼′—⅓′ in diameter; calyx large and conspicuous, the lobes coarsely serrate, reflexed and persistent; flesh thin, dark yellow, dry and mealy; nutlets 2 or 3, about ¼′ long and wide, broad and rounded at the ends, the ventral cavities deep and irregular.
A tree, occasionally 15° high, with a tall stem 5′—6′ in diameter, covered with pale close bark, stout wide-spreading branches forming an open rather irregular head, and stout slightly zigzag glabrous light chestnut-brown very lustrous branchlets, becoming dull reddish brown in their second year, and armed with numerous slender usually curved very sharp bright chestnut-brown shining spines 2½′—4′ long.
Distribution. Western Vermont (near Middlebury, Addison County); central and western New York; southern Ontario (near Toronto); northeastern Illinois (Barrington County); and eastern Pennsylvania (Bucks and Northampton Counties).