250 THE APPLE FAMILY. 



but since the publication of that work not less than seventy new species from 

 the same territory have been proposed, and the outlook for many more, I 

 am informed, " is hopeful !" 



It was not a difficult task to dispose of the southern thorns under the 

 classification in vogue a few years ago, especially as so many of the forms 

 with large red fruit could, with but slight chances for adverse criticism, be 

 referred to Crataegus coccinea, and the yellow or orange fruited forms as 

 safely called Crat^gus flava. But this kind of easy botany has faded. 

 CratcCgus coccinea as demonstrated by Professor Sargent, does not occur in 

 the south, and the many forms heretofore referred to Crataegus flava have 

 been split up into nearly as many species. The thorns then, instead of rep- 

 resenting a moderate number of species, really turn out to embrace a whole 

 army of distinct kinds. 



Not until a concise publication reveals the true relationship and distinctions 

 between the multiplicity of species, will the casual student be likely to in- 

 terpret many of them with much assurance of correctness. The following 

 species, however, are of comparatively easy identification, and will serve us 

 as types for study. 



C. cEstivdlis^ May haw, is a tree sometimes twenty or thirty feet tall, an 

 inhabitant of pine-barren ponds and the sandy margins of streams. Al- 

 though extremely southern in distribution, it enjoys a wide range of 

 notoriety on account of the delicious preserves and jellies made from its 

 bright red fruit. During May the markets of many southern towns dispose 

 of large quantities of the fruit, which is eagerly gathered in all the region 

 where it abounds. The May haw is the first of its kind to blossom and ripen 

 its fruit, and besides, is readily known by the rusty tomentum on the under 

 surface of the leaves. 



C. apiifblia, parsley haw, grows from the Atlantic coast region of southern 

 Virginia to central Florida, extending westward through the Gulf states to 

 Texas and Arkansas. It is, indeed, fortunate that this beautiful shrub or 

 small tree is endowed with so wide a range. While extremely rare in 

 gardens it is one of the most delicate and pretty of the thorns. Its beautiful 

 leaves are pinnately five to seven cleft, the segments again incisely lobed and 

 serrate, of a soft, bright green colour. The small oblong fruit is bright scar- 

 let at maturity, persisting on the branches until the beginning of winter. 



C cordata, Washington thorn so much used at one time, especially in the 

 middle states for hedges, is a familiar object to many of us. The sharply 

 three to seven lobed smooth leaves, which are cordate or truncate at the 

 base, and the small bright red fruits easily distinguish the species. 



C punctata, large-fruited thorn, produces, as the common name implies, 

 very large globose pomes, either clear red or bright yellow, These thorn- 



