9. [Cratægus erecta] Sarg.
Leaves oval to obovate, acute and short-pointed at apex, cuneate and entire at base, and finely glandular-serrate, when they unfold often villose with a few short caducous pale hairs on the upper side of the midrib, nearly fully grown when the flowers open early in May, and at maturity thin and firm in texture, dark dull green on the upper surface, pale on the lower surface, 1½′—2′ long, and 1′—1¼′ wide, with a slender midrib, and thin prominent primary veins; in the autumn turning dull orange color; petioles slender, glandular with minute dark glands, usually dark red after midsummer, ¼′—½′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots often nearly orbicular, coarsely serrate with broad nearly straight glandular teeth, and sometimes 3′ long and 2½′ wide. Flowers ½′—⅝′ in diameter, on slender pedicels, in broad loose many-flowered glabrous corymbs; calyx-tube narrowly obconic, the lobes narrow, elongated, acuminate, entire or occasionally obscurely and irregularly serrate; stamens usually 10, occasionally 11—13; anthers small, pale yellow; styles 3 or 4, surrounded at base by a narrow ring of short pale hairs. Fruit on elongated pedicels, in few-fruited drooping clusters, subglobose and usually a little longer than broad, flattened at the ends, dark dull crimson marked by occasional dark-colored dots, ¼′—⅓′ long; calyx-tube short, the lobes closely appressed, gradually narrowed from a broad base and usually persistent on the ripe fruit; nutlets 3 or 4, with a broad high grooved ridge, 3/16′ long.
A tree, 25°—40° high, with a trunk 1°—3° in diameter, thick ascending branches forming a wide open rather symmetrical head, and bright chestnut-brown or orange-brown ultimately dark brown spreading branchlets armed with thin straight chestnut-brown spines 1′—2′ long.
Distribution. Rich bottom-lands of the Mississippi River, St. Claire County, Illinois (east St. Louis, near Fish Lake, and Kahokia); banks of Desperes River, south St. Louis, St. Louis County, and Osage, Cole County, Missouri.
10. [Cratægus acutifolia] Sarg.
Leaves oval to oblong-obovate, acute or acuminate or rarely rounded at apex, cuneate at the usually entire base, finely crenulate-serrate often only above the middle with glandular teeth, nearly fully grown when the flowers open about the 10th of May, and then membranaceous, and lustrous above, with occasional short scattered pale caducous hairs on the upper side of the midrib, and at maturity thin and firm, dark green and lustrous above, pale yellow-green below, about 1½′ long, and 1′ wide, with a slender light yellow midrib and about 4 or 5 pairs of thin primary veins; petioles glandular when they first appear with minute dark glands, ¼′—½′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots frequently divided at apex into 2 or 3 pairs of short acute lobes, and often 3′ long and 2′ wide. Flowers ½′ in diameter, on slender pedicels, in many-flowered compact corymbs; calyx-tube narrowly obconic, the lobes lanceolate, acuminate, entire or obscurely and irregularly glandular-serrate; stamens 10; anthers small, pale yellow; styles 2 or 3. Fruit ripening and falling at the end of September, on slender pedicels ½′—¾′ long, in few-fruited drooping clusters, short-oblong, full and rounded at the ends, bright scarlet, marked by occasional dark dots, ½′ long; calyx-tube prominent, with closely appressed lobes often deciduous before the fruit ripens; nutlets 2 or 3, with a broad rounded ridge, about 3/16′ long.
A tree, often 30° high, with a trunk 18′ in diameter, stout wide-spreading branches forming a symmetrical round-topped rather open head, and stout bright chestnut-brown branchlets dark gray-brown in their second year, and occasionally armed with scattered thin straight chestnut-brown spines 1′—2′ long.
Distribution. Open woods; banks of the Desperes River near Carondelet, St. Louis County, Missouri; in St. Claire County, Illinois (north of stock yards, East St. Louis, and near Kahokia).