Leaves ovate to oval, rounded, acute or acuminate and often abruptly short-pointed at apex, rounded or cuneate at base, and coarsely serrate usually only above the middle, tinged with red and villose-pubescent when they unfold, soon glabrous, and at maturity yellow-green above, paler below, 2′—3′ long and 1½′ wide, with a prominent midrib and thin inconspicuous primary veins; turning yellow in the autumn before falling; petioles slender, at first puberulous, becoming glabrous, ½′—1′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots broad-ovate, usually lobed with short acute lobes, more coarsely serrate, thicker, often 3′—4′ long and 2′—3′ wide, with a prominent midrib and primary veins, and stout petioles often tinged with red and 1½′—2′ in length. Flowers 1¼′—1½′ in diameter, on glabrous pedicels ½′—1′ long, in 3—6-flowered clusters; calyx-tube glabrous, or rarely more or less densely villose-pubescent (var. dasycalyx Rehd.), the lobes long-acuminate, longer than the tube, sparingly pubescent on the outer surface, hoary-tomentose on the inner surface; petals oblong-obovate, gradually or abruptly narrowed into a long claw, about ½′ wide; stamens shorter than the petals; styles 5, clothed for half their length with long white hairs and united at the base. Fruit on slender pedicels 1½′—2′ in length, green when fully grown, yellow-green at maturity, ¾′—1′ high and 1′—1¼′ wide.
A tree, often forming dense thickets, 25°—30° high, with a trunk 12′—14′ in diameter, dividing 8°—10° above the ground into several stout spreading branches forming a wide open head, and branchlets hoary-tomentose when they first appear, glabrous or slightly pubescent, bright red-brown and marked by occasional small pale lenticels in their first winter, and developing in their second year stout, spur-like, somewhat spinescent lateral branchlets. Winter-buds obtuse, with bright red scales scarious and ciliate on the dark margins. Bark ⅓′ thick, longitudinally fissured, the outer layer separating into long narrow persistent red-brown scales. Wood heavy, close-grained, not strong, light red, with yellow sapwood of 18—20 layers of annual growth; used for levers, the handles of tools, and many small domestic articles.
Distribution. Western New York to southern Ontario and westward through Ohio, southern Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and southern Wisconsin to Missouri (Jackson and Butler Counties), and southward through Pennsylvania to northern Delaware, and along the Appalachian Mountains to North Carolina, sometimes up to altitudes of 3300°; the var. dasycalyx common and widely distributed in Ohio (Lorain, Clark, Franklin, Hardin and Lucas Counties, R. E. Horsey), and in Wells and Porter Counties, Indiana (C. C. Deam).
Sometimes planted in the gardens of the northern and eastern states; passing into
Malus coronaria var. elongata Rehd.
Malus elongata Ashe.
Leaves oblong-ovate, gradually narrowed and acuminate at apex, rounded or broad-cuneate at base, incisely serrate or slightly lobed, floccose-tomentose when they unfold, soon glabrous, dark yellow-green above, lighter below, 2′—3½′ long, 1′—1¼′ wide; at the end of vigorous shoots ovate, rounded or broad and cuneate at base, acuminate, lobed with short acuminate lobes, 3½′—4′ long, 2′—2½′ wide, with a prominent midrib and primary veins, and slightly pubescent orange-colored petioles 1′—1½′ in length. Flowers and Fruit as in the species.
A shrub or small tree, sometimes forming dense almost impenetrable thickets.