Thorny shrubs or small trees with simple, alternate, serrate, doubly serrate or lobed leaves. Flowers cherry-like blossoms, usually white in color and growing in corymbs, generally on the ends of side shoots; in spring. Fruit a berry or drupe with 1 to 5 bony stones, tipped with the 5 persistent calyx-teeth; ripe in autumn.

* Calyx, stipules, bracts, etc., often glandular. (A.)
A. Flowers and fruit often over 6 in a cluster. (B.)
B. Leaves usually abrupt at base 1.
B. Leaves usually attenuate at base 2.
A. Flowers and fruit few, 1 to 6 in a cluster 10.
* Calyx, etc., without glands (No. 4 has glandular teeth to the calyx); flowers many in a cluster. (C.)
C. Leaves more or less tapering at base. (D.)
D. Leaves generally lobed; cultivated, rarely escaped 3.
D. Leaves rarely lobed; native. (E.)
E. Leaves small, shining, crenate at the end 5.
E. Leaves villous or pubescent, at least when young 9.
E. Leaves smooth or only downy at the axils, acutely serrate. South 7.
C. Leaves usually abrupt at base, sometimes cordate. (F.)
F. Leaves downy when young. (G.)
G. Leaves usually lobed 4.
G. Leaves rarely lobed; veins very prominent 8.
F. Leaves quite smooth 6.

C. coccínea.

1. Cratæ̀gus coccínea, L. (Scarlet-fruited Thorn.) Leaves bright green, smooth, thin, roundish-ovate, sharply cut-toothed or lobed, on slender petioles. Branches reddish, villous-pubescent; spines stout, chestnut-brown. Flowers large, ½ to 2/3 in., many in a corymb, on glandular peduncles. May to June. Fruit scarlet, round or pear-shaped, ½ in.; ripe in September, with from 1 to 5 cells and seeds. Tall shrub or low tree, 10 to 25 ft. high, in hedges and woods; common from Canada to Florida.

Var. mollis has the shoots densely pubescent; leaves large, slender-petioled, cuneate, cordate or truncate at base, usually with acute narrow lobes, often rough above, and more or less densely pubescent beneath. Flowers large, 1 in.; fruit light scarlet with a light bloom, 1 in. broad.

C. Crus-gálli.

2. Cratæ̀gus Crus-gálli, L. (Cockspur Thorn.) Leaves smooth, thick, shining above, wedge-obovate, finely serrate above the middle, with a short petiole. There are broad and narrow-leaved varieties. Flowers large and numerous, in lateral corymbs. May to June. Fruit globular, 1/3 in. broad, dull red; ripe in September and October. A small tree with a flat, bushy head, horizontal branches, and long, sharp thorns. Wild and common throughout, and often planted.