462 



The Thorn Trees 



21. BUSH'S THORN — Oratsegns pyriformis Britton 



Bush's thorn occurs in rich bottom lands of southeastern Missouri. It is a 

 tree 8 to 9 meters high, with spreading branches forming a broad crown; the twigs 



are Hght green and long-hairy when 

 young, becoming gray and smooth, and 

 have an occasional sUm, chestnut-brown 

 spine 2 to 4 cm. long. 



The leaves are broadly oval or obo- 

 vate-oval, 3 to 7 cm. long, 2 to 6 cm. wide, 

 pointed at the apex, strongly wedge- 

 shaped at the base, sharply and some- 

 times doubly toothed, usually slightly 

 hairy on the upper surface when young, 

 becoming smooth, hairy, especially along 

 the veins beneath, yellow-green above, 

 paler beneath, thin; leaf-staUss winged 

 at the apex, woolly-hairy, becoming 

 Fig. 411. -Bush's Thom smoother, I to 3 cm. long. The flowers 



are about 2.5 cm. wide, in many-flowered, long-hairy corymbs; calyx-tube densely 

 long-hairy, the lobes lanceolate, long-pointed, slightly hairy, glandular- toothed; sta- 

 mens about 20; anthers pink; styles 4 or 5. The fruit ripens late, is oblong or 

 pear-shaped, about 12 mm. thick, bright cherry-red, calyx-lobes reflexed; flesh light 

 yellow, juicy; it contains 4 or 5 nutlets about 8 mm. long and about 10 nun. thick; 

 the nutlets are ear-shaped, and are grooved on the back. 



22. ASHE'S THORN — Crataegus Ashei Beadle 



Ashe's thom is known in the clay soils about Montgomery, Alabama. It is 

 a tree sometimes 6 meters high, with 

 ascending branches forming an oval top; 

 the bark is hght gray or red-brown, be- 

 coming scaly with age; the twigs are 

 orange-brown or reddish brown, hairy, 

 becoming hght gray, smooth, and pro- 

 vided with slender, nearly straight spines 

 3 to 4 cm. long. 



The leaves are oblong-ovate or obo- 

 vate, 2 to 8 cm. long, i to 6 cm. wide, 

 abruptly long-pointed or pointed at the 

 apex, wedge-shaped at the base, sharply 

 toothed, sometimes doubly toothed, with 

 erect teeth, hairy when young, the upper surface becoming simply rough with age. 



Fig. 412. — Ashe's Thom. 



