BRIEFER ARLICLE 5. 
NOTES ON THE BOTANY OF THE SOUTHEASTERN 
STATES. III. 
CRATAGUS MACRACANTHA Lodd., Loudon, Arb. Brit. 2: 819. 1854. 
ed. 2.]|—In the valley of the Swannanoa river, near Biltmore, North 
Carolina, this species has been located recently. The finding of this 
thorn in the mountains of western North Carolina reveals the existence 
of not less than thirteen distinct varieties of the genus in this part of 
the state. While it has been considered that “the headquarters of the 
genus Crategus”’ are in eastern Texas and western Louisiana,’ the 
state of North Carolina has at least sixteen species within its borders. 
Crategus macracantha in North Carolina is usually a much- 
branched shrub, but occasionally attains arborescent proportions. It 
blossoms two or three weeks later than C. coccinea L. and a few days 
before the small-fruited form of C. zomentosa L., referred to in my 
second paper, and to which variety it is evidently more closely related 
than to the scarlet thorn. The flowers are produced in broad, leafy 
cymes, and are much smaller and more numerous than in C. coccinea ; 
the leaves, which are borne on stouter and shorter petioles, are nar- 
rowed or cuneate at the base, prominently veined and of rather firmer 
substance, and the fruit at maturity is succulent and smaller than in 
the last named species. I have aimed to draw direct comparisons 
between the long-spined and scarlet thorns to point out the great dis- 
similarity between the two species, and because the disparity in the 
descriptions of the former in several text-books of botany is most 
bewildering. I take pleasure in acknowledging material assistance 
and many notes concerning this confused genus from my associate, 
Mr. F. E. Boynton, who has been my almost constant companion for 
several years in botanical pursuits. 
CRATAGUS ROTUNDIFOLIA (Ehrh.) Borck. in Roem. Arch. 13: 87. 
1798.—The recognition of this species removes another stumbling 
*C. S. SARGENT, Silva 4: 83. 1892. 
446 [JUNE 
