444 



The Thorn Trees 



in the North. The fruit is also very ornamental and lasts from August until 

 winter; it is also a favorite food of our native birds, and honey-bees visit the 

 flowers in myriads. As a hedge plant the Hawthorn has been used in the Old 

 World for centuries, but many of our native species are equally if not more desir- 

 able as such, and stand any amount of pruning. For individual lawn plants, they 

 are also very desirable, as is shown by the cultivated forms, a form of the Haw- 

 thorn with magnificent double red flowers being an especially striking example. 

 The fruits of several Old World forms are used as food, and a beverage was for- 

 merly made from them; in this country the fruits of C. astivalis and of other 

 southern species are made into preserves and jellies; the fruit of C. mollis is sold 

 in the markets of Montreal, Canada, and no doubt others are used locally for the 

 same purposes; there are large-fruited kinds of economic value in Mexico. The 

 genus will bear more careful investigation by the pomologist. 



The name is from the Greek, in reference to their hard, compact wood, which 

 is used for tool-handles and mallets. The European Hawthorn, Cratagus Oxya- 

 cantha Linnaeus, is the generic type. 



1. Introduced species. Nutlets 2-seeded. Leaves deeply cut; fruit red, 



oblong to globose; coiymbs many-flowered. i. C. Oxyacantha. 



2. Native species. Nutlets i to 5, i-seeded. Leaves entire, cut or lobed. 

 A. Nutlets without cavities on their inner faces. 



* Fruit red, yellow or green; nest of nutlets with or without sinuses, 

 t Nest of nutlets with sinuses. 

 X Fruit ripening in autumn. 



a Leaves entire, or several lobed. 

 b Fruit firm when ripe, 

 c Leaves broadest toward the apex, 

 d Leaves obovate to oblong; leaf-stalks glandless; 

 corymbs many-flowered; fruit ripening late; 

 flesh hard, greenish, 

 e Nutlets usually i to 3 (3 to s in Canbyi); leaves 

 leathery, dark green and shining above; fruit 

 red; flesh thin. 

 Corymbs and leaves smooth; nutlets i to 5. 

 Leaves narrow (wider in var. prunijolid); nut- 

 lets 1 or 2; nest of nutlets longer than 

 thick. 2. C. Crus-galli. 



Leaves wide. 



Nutlets 2 or 3; nest of nutlets of about 



equal length and thickness. 3. C. Palmeri. 



Nutlets 3 to 5; nest of nutlets longer than 



thick. 4- C. Canbyi. 



Corymbs and leaves hairy; nutlets 2 or 3; nest 

 of nutlets of about equal length and thick- 

 ness. 

 Leaves broad, fruit smooth. 5. C. jecunda. 



Leaves narrow, fruit hairy. 6. C. berberijolia. 



ee Nutlets usually 3 to 5; leaves thin, impressed 



