IIA^■I)I!O0K (1F Trkks of the ]^(tktiiekx States am) Caxada. L'.'Ji 



The Prairie Crab is a small tree rarely if 

 ever exeeedini; 2U or .■ill I'l. in heii^lit or 12 to 

 18 in. m diameter (if trunk. It develops a 

 spreading or rounded top of many rigid tor- 

 tuous branches beset with numerous short lat- 

 eral thorn-like spurs. From the sides of these 

 thorns I.ea\es ami llowers a|ipear, while the 

 free tip is u>ually a very sharp rigid thorn. 



Like the other native apples its handsome 

 flowers are characterized by a delicious 

 fragrance, which makes the tree popular for 

 planting in shrubberies and door-yards. In 

 autumn its small yellow-green apples, w ith sur- 

 face seemingly covered with wax or grease and 

 of a strong characteristic fragrance, give it an 

 ornamental value at tluit season, and later 

 after the leaves have fallen. The attractive 

 appearance and odor of the fruit, however, 

 ends here, as in flavor it is too austere for 

 most tastes to be edible, though the juice is 

 sometimes used for making vinegar. 



The Bechtel Crab is a form recently intro- 

 duced with large double rose-coloreil flowers. 

 It is of sigmal merit for ornamental planting. 



The wood we have not examined, but it is 

 said to be softer than that of the allied eastern 

 species. 



Leaves ovate, oval or ohlons, .■)-4 in, long, 

 broad-cunoate or rounded at liase,"acutp or roimrtcci 

 at apex, erenate-serrate and on vigorous sbo<jts 

 with short acute or rounded lobes, at maturity 

 thick lustrous dark green above, tomentose lie- 

 neath ; petioles stout, pubescent. Flowers ly. in. 

 across, in small clusters with pedicels and calyx 

 tomentose. Fruit mostly 1-1% in. in diameter, 

 grfenish yellow, tragrani:, greasy and with stout 

 stems mostly %-l in, long. 



1. Mains IiieiiHis (Wood.) Britt. 



