The FLOWERS are white, some fragrant and others with a slightly unpleasant odor; they appear in early spring. The [FRUIT] varies from [globular] to [oblong], from ¼ to ¾ inch in diameter; some when ripe have a pulpy, sweet, edible flesh, surrounding from 1 to 5 bony seeds.
The WOOD is strong, tough, heavy, hard, but rarely used for any purpose.
Many species of birds are attracted to these trees and bushes by the [fruit] and for the protection offered for nesting. Blueberry hawthorn, C. brachyacanthu, fruit ripens in the late summer and is valuable for deer food. The fruit of most species ripens in the fall, and one or two varieties yield a fruit highly prized for making jelly.
RIVERFLAT HAWTHORN (Mayhew)
Crataegus opaca Hook. and Arn.
This species is a native of East Texas, being found as far west as the Trinity River. It grows along rivers at the edges of swamps and ponds, where water stands a part of the year. These trees often form extensive thickets. The [FRUIT] of this haw, unlike other Texas haws, matures in late April or May. After the fruit is gone, it is more difficult to distinguish it from other haws. It is of low, spreading habit, sometimes becoming a tree 20 to 30 feet high and about a foot in diameter. It usually bears a few thorns about 1 inch long on branches two years old.
RIVERFLAT HAWTHORN (Leaves, flowers, and [fruit], one-half natural size)
On old trees the [BARK] is deeply fissured and divided into dark brown, [persistent] [scales]. The wood has no commercial value.
The LEAVES are about 2 inches long, pointed, narrowing toward the stem, finely toothed from the middle of the tip, sometimes slightly [lobed], dull green, and rather [downy] beneath.
The FLOWERS appearing in March are the largest of Crataegus, 1 inch in diameter, white, and borne in clusters of only 2 or 3. The [FRUIT], an unusually large haw, is sometimes nearly an inch in diameter. When fully ripe, these haws are scarlet, lustrous, mellow, and pleasantly acid. The fruit is gathered in large quantities for making mayhaw jelly.