19^0] SARGENT, NOTES ON NORTH AMERICAN TREES. VI 24D 



summer and is scarlet, lustrous and sliort-oblong to subglobose, with thick 

 yellow succulent subacid flesh; the nutlets vary from 3-5 and are small, 

 rounded or slightly ridged and grooved on the back, with a broad prominent 

 hypostyle extending to below the middle of the nutlet. The fruit is largely 

 gathered for jellies and preserves. Tlie species, which are small trees or 

 shrubs, grow in sludlow dei)ressions filled with water during most of the 

 year (" pond-holes "). on the wet borders of streams and swamps, and in 

 low wet woods. 



The name aestivalis in connection with a Crataegus Avas first used by 

 Walter in 1788 wlio published in his Flora Caroliniana '*Mes])ihis aestivalis 

 spinosa, foliis angulatis serratis, floribus corymbosis, baccis magnis rubris.'* 

 A specimen of this plant unfortunately is not found in Walter's herbarium 

 preserved in the British ^luseum, and it is impossible to do more than guess 

 at the identity of his plant. Pursh referred it as a synonym to Crataegus 

 coccinea L.: Nuttall did not mention It; Elliott doubtfully referred it to C 

 elUpiica Purslu and Elliott's C. lucida, wliich he seems to liave considered 

 a Crus-galli s])eci(\s, is also j)robably Walter's plant. The name Crataeous 

 aestivalis was first used by Torrey & Gray, in ISiO, but their description is 

 of a plant of southwestern Georgia and western Florida which is not known 

 in the coast region of South Carolina or Georgia, where there is a species of 

 this group which might have been known to Walter as it now grows near 

 Yemasscc, South Carolina, and near Valdosta and Meldrim, Georgia, all 

 within tlie region i)robably well known to Walter. Walter's description as 

 far as it goes describes this coast plant for the leaves at the ends of vigorous 

 branches are " angulatis serratis " and the fruit is large and red; and it is 

 therefore probably safe to use aestivalis as the specific name for the Atlantic- 

 coast May Haw. If Walter's name is not used Elliott's C. hicida, if it were 

 not a synonym, might perhaj)S be used for this tree, for there is no other 

 Crataegus with '' corymbis simplicibus, plaueifloris " now growing where 

 he found his C. lucida, "on the margin of the Ogcechee River just where 

 the tides cease to fiow." Meldrim is now at this ]:;oiiit and May Haws are 

 abundan.t there. Whether the C. lucida of Elliott is our i)lant or not Elliott 

 certainly knew the May Haw which he believed was pro})a!)ly the Mespilus 

 aestivalis Walt., for his description of it under C ellijAica Pursh leaves no 

 doul)t on this point. I did not know the Atlantic coast species until 191G 

 when Mr. Harbison obtained abundant material, and in 190G I described 

 under the name of C maloides a May Haw from the east coast of Florida 

 which varies so little from the Georgia plant that it may be considered a 

 variety; and this is true of two other May Haws also from Volusia County, 

 Florida, C, cerasoides and C luculenta which I described in 1913, 

 The species of t!iis Group may be arranged as follows: 



Leaves ^lahrous -svitli the exception of the small tufts of axillary hairs on their lower 

 surface. 

 Leaves obloiig-ohovate, o-3 cm. long; flowers in 2- or 8-flowored corynil)s; stamens 

 L5-20; anthers pale pink; a tree with nearly straight sparingly armed branclilets. 



C, aestivalis. 



