Handbook of Trees of the ISTor- 



Stat 



255 



The Wasliington Haw is a beautifiil and 

 clearly defined tree with slender thorns and 

 marked individuality. It attains the height 

 of 25 or 30 ft. at times, with lofty rounded or 

 spreading top and a clear trunk 10 or 12 in. 

 in diameter and (I or 7 ft. to the branches, or 

 is sometimes only a large .spreading shruh. 

 The bark of the trunk is of a grayish or pal(' 

 brown color and exfoliates in thin small scales. 

 It occupies the low moist but well drained 

 soil of bottom-lands and the banks of streams, 

 but is nowhere abundant in a wild state. It 

 has, however, probably been more extensively 

 planted for ornamental purposes than any 

 other American species, and may have become 

 naturalized in. localities outside of its native 

 habitat indicated on the accompanying map. 

 It is hardy at least as far north as New York. 

 It is said to be even more extensively grown 

 in Europe than in this country, having been 

 introduced as early as in the seventeenth cen- 

 tury and was named there. It has long been 

 popular for hedges, as well as ornament, and 

 is said to have received its common name from 

 the fact that nearly a century ago it was 

 introduced from the vicinity of Washington, 

 D. C. into Chester Co., Pa., where it became 

 popular and was extensively planted. 



Leaves broad-ovate to triangular. \y.2--V2 in. 

 long, truncate to obtuse or wide-cordate and entire 

 at base, mostly acute or acuminate, commonly with 

 .'j-7 spreading pointed coarsely serrate lobes, thin 

 and lustrous dark green at maturity, paler be- 

 neath ; petioles long and slender. Flowers in 

 early .Tune, in many-flowered glabrous corymbs, 

 calyx with short lobes pubescent inside : stamens 

 20, rose-colored : styles '2-'>. hairy at base. Fruit 

 ripening in October and persisting on the branches 

 until si)ring. depressed globose, scarcely 14 in. in 

 diameter, liriirhf red. the calyx-lobes falling away ; 

 nutlets .'!-."), alioiit 's in. long. 



