﻿Trees of New York Slate 243 



ROSACEAE 



Crataegus pedicellata Sarg. 



Thorn Apple, Hawthorn 



Habit — A small tree 18-20 feet in height, vdih a trunk diameter of 6-12 

 inches and many slender, elongated, ascending or spreading branches 

 which form a rounded, sj'mmetrical, dense crown. 



Leaves — Alternate, broadly ovate or sometimes obovate, 3-4 inches long, 

 2-3 inches wide, acute or acuminate at the apex, broadly cuneate or 

 truncate at the base, divided above the middle in 4 or 5 pairs of short, 

 pointed, divergent lobes, doubly serrate on the margin except toward the 

 base, at maturity tliin, dark green and scabrous above, paler and nearly 

 glabrous below, borne on slender, glandular jjetioles '^Vi-'^Vi inches long. 



Flowers — Appearing in late May and early June when the leaves are about 

 half gro\\ai, perfect, %-•% of an inch broad, borne on long, slender 

 pedicels in loose, lax, many-flowered, somewhat villose corymbs. Calyx- 

 tube urn-shaped, glabrous, 5-lobed, the lobes broad, acute, coarsely glan- 

 dular-serrate, subsequently reflexed. Petals 5, white, obovate, rounded at 

 the apex, contracted at the base, entire, inserted on the calyx-tube. 

 Stamens 10, ^\'ith elongated filaments and rose-colored anthers. Ovary 

 inferior, 5-celled. Styles 5, surrounded at the base by a ring of tomentum. 

 Stigmas capitate, terminal. 



Fruit — An oblong, rounded, lustrous, dark punctate, bright scarlet pome, 

 %-% of an inch long, marked at the apex by the persisting calyx-lobes 

 and stamen-filaments, borne on slender pedicels in lax, few-fruited, gla- 

 brous, corymbose, clusters, deciduous in early autumn. Flesh thin, dry, 

 mealy, enclosing 5 rounded, vertically-grooved, 1 -seeded, bony nutlets. 



Winter characters — Twig slender, somewhat zigzag, smooth, dark chestnut- 

 brown and lustrous, becoming light gray the second season, armed with 

 straight or slightly curved, lustrous spines l%-2 inches long. Buds 

 globose, bright-red, about % of an inch in diameter. Mature bark thin, 

 close, reddish brown, scaly on the surface. 



Habitat — A " weed ' ' tree occun-ing in waste places along fence rows, in fence 

 corners, old pastures, and open upland woods. 



Range — Northeastern United States but imperfectly known. Said to occur 

 from southern Connecticut to southern Ontario and Illinois, south to 

 Pennsylvania and Delaware. Zones B and C. 



Uses — Of no commercial importance. A tree " weed ". Occasionally grown 

 ornamentally in arboretums. 



