42. [Cratægus ovata] Sarg.
Leaves ovate, acute, broadly or acutely concave-cuneate at the entire base, coarsely often doubly serrate above with glandular teeth, and occasionally slightly divided into short lateral lobes, nearly fully grown when the flowers open early in May and then dark green, very smooth and glabrous above with the exception of a few short scattered hairs near the base of the midrib, paler below, with small persistent axillary tufts of white hairs, and at maturity membranaceous, 2′—2½′ long, and 1½′—2′ wide, with a slender yellow midrib and primary veins; petioles slender, rose-colored in the autumn, about ¾′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots rounded or truncate at the broad base, coarsely serrate, and sometimes 3′ long and wide. Flowers about ½′ in diameter, on long slender pedicels, in broad loose many-flowered corymbs; calyx-tube narrowly obconic, glabrous, the lobes broad acute, entire or coarsely glandular-serrate toward the apex, glabrous; styles 5. Fruit ripening in October, on elongated pedicels, in long drooping clusters, subglobose or a little longer than broad, orange-red, ¼′—5/16′ long; calyx enlarged, with elongated closely appressed lobes sometimes deciduous from the ripe fruit; nutlets 5, acute at the ends, rounded or slightly ridged on the back, about 3/16′ long.
A tree, 25°—30° high, with a tall trunk sometimes a foot in diameter, covered with smooth gray bark, slender glabrous branchlets light reddish brown and lustrous during their first year, becoming grayish brown in their second season, and unarmed or armed with occasional dark purple slender slightly curved shining spines 1′ long.
Distribution. Low moist soil on the banks of the River Desperes, South St. Louis, St. Louis County, and near Alba, Jasper County, Missouri.
43. [Cratægus vulsa] Beadl.
Leaves oval or ovate, acute, broad and rounded or broad-cuneate at the entire base, irregularly and often doubly serrate above with straight or incurved gland-tipped teeth, and often divided into several short acute lateral lobes, when they unfold dark bronze-red, and pilose with scattered caducous hairs, and furnished below with tufts of pale often persistent hairs in the axils of the principal veins, nearly fully grown when the flowers open late in April, and at maturity thin, bright green on the upper surface, paler on the lower surface, about 2′ long and 1½′ wide, with a slender midrib and 4 or 5 pairs of thin pale yellow primary veins; turning in the autumn yellow or brown; petioles slender, somewhat villose at first, soon becoming glabrous, about ¾′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots broadly ovate, acute or acuminate, broad and rounded or occasionally truncate or broadly cuneate at base, more coarsely serrate and more deeply lobed, often 3′ long and 2½′ wide, with a stout winged glandular petiole. Flowers ¾′ in diameter, on slender pedicels, in compact 3—10-flowered corymbs, with linear acuminate glandular red bracts and bractlets; calyx-tube broadly obconic, glabrous, the lobes gradually narrowed from a broad base, acuminate, entire or occasionally obscurely serrate toward the apex, glabrous; stamens 20; anthers pale yellow; styles 3—5, surrounded at base by a thin ring of pale hairs. Fruit ripening at the end of September or early in October, on slender pedicels, in few-fruited drooping clusters, globose, yellow-green flushed with red, ⅓′ in diameter; calyx prominent, with closely appressed lobes; flesh yellow-green; nutlets 3—5, thin, rounded, sometimes slightly ridged and grooved on the back, about 3/16′ long.
A tree, occasionally 20° high, with a tall trunk 5′—6′ in diameter, covered with thin fissured bark separating into light gray scales tinged with brown, and often armed with long compound spines, ascending or spreading branches forming an oval usually compact symmetrical head, and slender nearly straight glabrous chestnut-brown branchlets becoming gray, and armed with thin nearly straight bright chestnut-brown shining spines 1′—1½′ long; sometimes a shrub, with numerous stems.
Distribution. Rich moist soil in the neighborhood of streams; northwestern Georgia and northeastern Alabama.