122 Bulletin 145 



The Pruinosae are difficult to distinguish from the Tenui- 

 foHae unless one has the mature fruit. In general the flowers 

 are larger, the anthers lighter red and the foliage smoother, with 

 a tendency toward blue-green rather than yellow. The fruit 

 is waxy, angular or globose, the calyx lobes are raised up and 

 thickened at the base, and the flesh is hard when the apples fall 

 in October. The nutlets are usually four or five. The shrubs 

 are six to twenty feet high with numerous thorns. The species 

 in Vermont are: C. priiinosa (Wendl.) C. Koch., C. p. var. phila- 

 delphica (Sarg.) Eggl., C. p. var. dissona (Sarg.) Eggl., C. 

 Beckzuithae Sarg., and C. Jesupi Sarg. 



The Macracanthae are one of our most distinct groups being 

 sharply characterized by nutlets with pits on the inner faces, 

 deeply serrated calyx lobes, and dark green impress-veined, 

 leathery leaves. The fruit softens in September, is red, globose 

 and usually contains two or three nutlets, the flesh being quite 

 characteristic having a glutinous feeling. The plants of this 

 group more often become trees than the others, being from six 

 to twenty-five feet in height and with numerous long sharp 

 thorns. The following species occur in Vermont : C. macra- 

 cantha Loddiges, C. m. var. succulenta (Schrad) Eggl., and Q. m. 

 var. neofluvialis (Ashe) Eggl. 



The Anomalae are well named as they are our hardest 

 group to separate. The writer holds that C. Brainerdi Sarg. and 

 its varieties Bgglestoni, (Sarg.) Rob., scahrida (Sarg.) Eggl., 

 and asperifolia (Sarg.) Eggl. must have originated as crosses be- 

 tween the Macracanthae and perhaps some of the Tenuifoliae ; 

 but they certainly are well established species now, for there are 

 numerous mountain pastures in Vermont where hundreds of 

 the variety Bgglestoni are found, and the others are nearly as 

 frequent and as well marked in various localities. The Anomalae 

 have thinner, less shiny leaves and calyx lobes less cut than the 

 Macracanthae, while the pits of the nutlets are shallow and the 

 flesh is not glutinous. 



