CRATAEGUS IN MISSOURI, 69 



and 



5-4 



Gravelly ridges between swamps, Moark, on the boundary 



nd Arkansas, 5, F. Bush. (No. 5 



betw 



October 



\ 



32. Crataegus leptophylla, n. sp. 



Glabrous with the exception of the hairs on the upper surface of the 

 young leaves. Leaves oblong-obovate, rounded or acute and often short- 

 pointed at the apex, gradually narrowed to the slender cuneate base, and 

 coarsely often doubly serrate above the middle, with straight or incurved 

 glandular teeth; nearly fully grown when the flowers open in the first week 

 of May and then thin, yellow-green, smooth, lustrous and slightly hairy on 

 the midribs above and paler below, and at maturity thin but firm in tex- 

 ture, dark yellow- green, glabrous and lustrous on the upper surface, pale on 

 the lower surface, 5-7 cm. long and 3-3.5 cm. wide, with prominent yellow 

 midribs, and slender usually prominent primary veins; petioles stout, 

 narrow-wing-margined nearly to the base, often rose color in the autumn, 

 8-10 mm. in length. Flowers about 1.2 cm. in diameter, on long slender 

 pedicels, in wide mostly 10-15-flowered corymbs, the elongated lower 

 peduncles from the axils of upper leaves; calyx- tube narrowly obconic, 

 the lobes gradually narrowed from the base, short, broad, acuminate and 

 glandular at the apex, minutely glandular-dentate near the middle, 

 reflexed after anthesis; stamens 20; anthers pink; styles 3-5. Fruit 

 ripening and faUing early in October, on long drooping red pedicels, 

 in few-fruited clusters, short-oblong to slightly obovate, rounded at the 

 ends, light orange-red, lustrous, marked by large pale dots, 1-1.2 cm. 

 long and 8-10 mm. in diameter; calyx little enlarged, with a deep narrow 

 cavity, and small spreading lobes; flesh very thin, green and hard; nutlets 

 usually 3 or 4, gradually narrow^ed and rounded at the ends, ridged on the 

 back, with a broad deeply grooved ridge, 4.5-5 mm. long, and 3-3.5 mm. 

 wude. 



m 



diameter, covered with light red-brown bark separating into 

 small closely appressed scaleS; large spreading and ascending 

 branches forming an open irregular round-topped head; and 

 stout slightly zigzag branchlets chestnut-brown and marked 

 by numerous large pale lenticels when they first appear, be- 

 coming lustrous and dull reddish brown the following year and 

 ultimately light gray, and armed with numerous slender 

 straight or slightly curved purple shining spines 5-6 cm. long, 

 and persistent, elongated and crowded on old stems and 

 branches. 



