171 



SCARLET HAWTHORN. 

 Crataegus coccinea, Linnaeus. 



FORM A small tree rarely exceeding a height of 20 ft. with a diameter of 10 Inches. 

 Trunk short, stout, bearing rather crooked spreading branches which form a broad and flat crown. 



BARK Rather thin, light brown to ashy-gray, in time roughened by shallow fissures sepa- 

 rating small scales. 



TWIGS Stiff, rouni in cross-section, at first greenish, later reddish, brownish or grayish, 

 glossy, armed with slender usually straight, brown, glossy spines about 2 inches long. 



BUDS Alternate, about I of an inch long, often almost spherical, very blunt-pointed, covered 

 with numerous, thick, blunt-pointed, chestnut-brown scales. Terminal bud usually present and 

 about same size as laterals. Lateral accessory buds are often found at the base of a thorn. 



LEAVES Alternate, simple, broadly ovate, 1-5 inches long, rough-pubescent, tapering, 

 rounded or truncate at base, often slightly 5-9-lobed or deeply cut and finely serrate on 

 margin, pointed at apex. 



LEAF-SCARS Alternate, more than 2-ranked, small, crescent-shaped, containing 3 bundle- 

 scars. 



FLOWERS Appear about June when leaves are almost fully developed. They are perfect, 

 white, i-1 inch across, with disagreeable odor, arranged in few-flowered corymbs and t>orne 

 on hairy and slender stalks. 



FRUIT Ripens in September or October and is arranged in small umbels. A subglobose to 

 ellipsoidal pome, yellowish-green, later dark reddish-brown, pubescent, about 2/5 of an inch 

 thick, crowned with calyx lobes; containing usually 3-4 nutlets. 



WOOD Similar to that of the Cockspur Thorn, page 170, only heavier and more valuable. 

 Used for canes, napkin rings, engraving blocks, rulers. The wood is of a high quality, taking 

 a fine polish but the tree is small and scarce. 



DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS The Scarlet Hawthorn, also known as White Thorn, 

 Scarlet Fruited Thorn, Thorn, Thorn Apple, and Hawthorn, can be distinguishel by its broadly 

 ovate leaves and reddish-brown globose fruit, both of which are pubescent. The leaves are 

 5-9-lobed or deeply cut and finely serrate. The small nearly spherical chestnut-brown buds 

 and the slender usually straight thorns on the branches will aid in distinguishing It from most 

 of our native species of trees. It is next to impossible to distinguish all the species of the 

 genus Crataegus from each other. 



RANGE Eastern Massachusetts and Vermont, southward through New York and Pennsylvania 

 to Nortn Carolina. 



DISTRIBUTION IN PENNSYLVANIA Found throughout the State. Not so abundant In the 

 northern and southwestern parts as elsewhere. 



HABITAT Usually found In rocky woods and old pastures with sandy or gravelly soil. 

 Rather common along fences. 



IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIES This species is of no commercial importance in the forest. 

 It is, however, attractive- on account of its flowers, autumnal color of its foliage, and the 

 cplor of its persistent fruit. 



