474 



The Thorn Trees 



gray, smooth; the twigs are light red, woolly hairy with long hairs, becoming 



smooth, with an occasional chestnut-brown, straight 

 spine 2.5 to 4 cm. long. 



The leaves are broadly ovate to orbicular, i to 

 4 cm. long, I to 4 cm. wide, white hairy on the 

 under surface when young, somewhat hairy above, 

 becoming smooth, pointed or rounded at the apex, 

 heart-shaped to wedge-shaped at the base, pinnately 

 5- to 7-cleft, the lobes toothed and often doubly 

 ! toothed with sharp teeth, thin; leaf-stalks hairy, 

 becoming smooth, 2.5 to 5 cm. long. The flowers 

 are about 15 mm. wide, in 3- to 12-flowered short- 

 hairy corymbs, the calyx-lobes lanceolate, long- 

 pointed, glandular-toothed, with red-tipped teeth, 

 smooth on the outside, sUghtly short-hairy above; 

 stamens about 20; anthers pink; styles i to 3. 



The fruit ripens in October; it is oblong or oval. 

 Fig. 420. — Paisley-leaved Thorn. . , 1 ^ 1 1 i_ a j ^i. 



4 to 7 mm. long, scarlet; calyx-lobes renexed; the 



flesh is thin, firm, enclosing i to 3 nutlets, commonly 2, 5 to 6.5 mm. long, with 



smooth back, no sinus, rounded at calyx and pointed at stem end, with calyx-scar, 



the nest 3 to 3.5 mm. thick. 



40. SMALL-FRUITED THORN — Crataegus spathulata Michaux 



This thorn occurs in moist, rich soil of the coast region, from Virginia to 

 northern Florida and westward to southern 

 Arkansas and Oklahoma to Texas. It is a 

 shrub or small tree 6 to 8 meters high, with up- 

 right and spreading branches, forming a broad 

 open crown; the bark is grayish brown, mi- 

 nutely scaly; the twigs are Ught reddish brown, 

 smooth, and occasionally provided with straight, 

 brown spines 3 to 4 cm. long. 



The leaves are spatulate to oblanceolate, i 

 to 4 cm. long, 5 to 20 mm. wide, pointed or 

 rounded at the apex, gradually narrowed below 

 from about the middle into winged petioles, 

 crenate-toothed, often 3- to s-lobed above, with 

 3 conspicuous lobes, hairy on the veins above 

 when young, becoming smooth, half-leathery, 

 dark green above, hghter beneath; leaf -stalks 

 about I cm. long. The flowers are about 10 

 mm. wide, in many-flowered, smooth corymbs; fi©. 430. — Smaii-fruited Thom. 



