Handbook of Trees of the Northekn States and Canada. 



259 



Tlie Long-spine Haw or Thorn is a tree of 

 medium size for its genus, being sciiiuni more 

 than 18 or 20 ft. in height, with rigid and 

 often crooked branches forming a rather open 

 and irreguhir top, and trunk G-S in. in diame- 

 ter. This is vested in a pale brown or gray 

 bark which exfoliates in small elongated scales. 



It inhabits the banks of streams and ricb 

 slopes, more commonly of limestone forma- 

 tion, and attracts the attention of even the 

 casual observer on account of its nuu.crous 

 very long chestnut brown thorns, which are 

 rather slender, somewhat curved and often 3 

 or 4 inches or more in length. We cannot but 

 wonder what may be nature's plan in equip- 

 ping this tree with so much more formidable 

 an armament than she has the other species. 

 It is a tree of handsome rich foliage and is a 

 very beautiful object when bearing its large 

 clusters of pure white flowers, as it is also in 

 autumn with its lustrous crimson fruit. 



Leaves broad-ohovate to oval. 2-4 in. long, ab- 

 ruptly or gradually cuneate and entire at base, 

 mostly acute or rounded at apex, coarst^ly and 

 sometimes doubly serrate or with short pointed 

 lobes, coriaceous at maturity and dull dark Kiicn 

 with impressed veins above, paler and piiliiTuIous 

 on the i)rominpnt veins and midribs bmeatli : 

 petioles stout, margined above. Flo in is. May- 

 .lune. % in. in diameter in many-flowered villose 

 compound corymbs : calyx with bmi,'. narrow, 

 acuminate lobes with dark glands : stamens 

 usually 1') (or 8-12) ; anthers jmle yellow: styles 

 2-;>. tomentose at base; Fruit ripening in S(>p- 

 tember in erect many-fruited clusters, subglobose. 

 Ml in. in diameter, histrous crimson with serrated 

 calyx-lobes reficxed and persistent ; nutlets 2 or 

 .'5. prominently ridged on the back and with deep 

 ventral cavites. 



