Cock-Spur Thorn 



449 



about 6 mm. thick, red, the persistent calyx-lobes reflexed; its flesh is yellow, mealy, 

 insipid; nutlet i, slightly pointed at the apex, ridged lengthwise. Also called 

 English hawthorn, Whitethorn, May hawthorn and May. 



2. COCK-SPUR THORN Crataegus Crus-galU Linn^us 



This species occurs from the vicinity of Montreal, Canada, southward along 

 Lake Champlain to Connecticut, Virginia, and through the Appalachian foothills 

 to northern Georgia and Alabama and westward through southern Ontario and 

 southern Michigan to Missouri. It is a tree sometimes 8 meters high, with stout 

 and spreading branches; the bark is grayish brown, scaly; the twigs are smooth, 

 light brown to gray, and usually bear straight or shghtly curved, chestnut-brown 

 spines from 3 to 8 cm. long. 



The leaves are obovate to elHptic, 2 to 12 cm. long, i to 3 cm. wide, pointed 

 or rounded at the apex, wedge-shaped and entire at the base, sharply toothed 

 toward the apex, smooth, thin, but becoming leathery, dark green and shining 

 above, paler beneath; leaf-stalks wing- 

 margined towards the apex, 5 to 20 

 mm. long. The flowers are about 

 15 mm. wide, numerous in smooth 

 corymbs; the calyx-lobes are hnear, 

 long-pointed, smooth or slightly short- 

 hairy; stamens about 10; anthers 

 pink; styles i to 3. The fruit ripens 

 late; it is short-oblong to subglobose, 

 about 15 mm. long, dull red, the calyx- 

 lobes reflexed; flesh greenish, firm, dry, 

 containing i to 3 (usually 2) nutlets, 8 

 to 9 mm. long, strongly ridged on the 

 back, the nest of nutlets 7 to 9 mm. 

 thick. 



This species is very variable. C. 

 prunifolia Poiret is a broad-leaved va- 



FiG. 391. Cock-Spur Thorn. 



riety, occurs from southern Ontario to southern Michigan and south to Pennsylva- 

 nia; variety pyracanthi folia Alton has narrower leaves, shghtly pubescent when 

 young, and smaller bright red fruit, and grows from northern Delaware to Ohio; 

 variety oblongata Sargent, having brighter colored oblong fruit, often 2.5 cm. long 

 and with acute nutlets, is found near Wilmington, Delaware, and in Bucks county, 

 Pennsylvania; variety capillata Sargent, with thinner leaves, shghtly hair}' cor}'mbs, 

 and commonly i nutlet, is found near Wilmington, Delaware. 



