KOSE FAMILY. 



131 



10. CRAT^'GUS, L. Hawthorn. 



[Greek, Kratos, strength ; in allusion to Jie strength or firmness of the wood.] 



Calyx-tube urceolate ; limb 5-cleft. Petals 5. Stamens numerous. Styles 

 1-5. Fruit fleshy or somewhat farinaceous, containing 1-5 bony 

 1-seeded carpels. Thorny shrubs or small trees. Leaves alternate, simple, 

 often incised or lobed. Flowers mostly in terminal corymbs. 



1. C. Crus-gal'li, L. Leaves ob ovate- cuneate or lance-oblong, serrate, 

 coriaceous, smooth and shining, subsessile ; styles 1 - 3 ; fruit somewhat 

 pyriform. 



Cock-spur Crat^gus. Cockspur Thorn. New Castle Thorn. 



stem 10-15 or 20 feet high, much branched, and armed with sharp tapering thorns 2 

 to near 3 inches in length. Leaves inches long, on short petioles. Corymbs termi- 



nal on short rigid spurs. Petals white. Fruit middling sized, reddish brown when mature. 



Thickets, fence rows, hedges, &c.: Canada to Florida. Fl. June. Fr. October. 



Obs. This shrub — of which there are two or three pretty distinct va- 

 rieties — is, in my opinion, the best adapted for hedging, of any of the 

 genus. Properly treated, it makes a durable and effective hedge. But 

 until timber shall become scarce, very few farmers will take the requisite 

 pains to insure a complete hedge, and without such care it is worse than 

 labor lost to make such an attempt. In the language of Mr. McMahon's 

 excellent " American Gardener's Calendar," referring to the hedging ex- 

 periments of negligent, slovenly farmers : " I would advise such to hold 

 fast by the post and rail, and not to lose time in doing more hurt than 

 good." 



2. C. corda'ta, Ait. Leaves deltoid-ovate and sub-cordate at base, 

 incised-serrate and somewhat 3-lobed, smooth, on slender and rather long 

 petioles ; styles 5 ; fruit depressed globose. 



Cordate Crat^gus. Washington Thorn. Virginia Thorn. 



Skm 15-20 feet high, much branched, and armed with slender tapering sharp thorns 1 

 to near 3 inches in length. Leaves 2-3 inches long, often 3-lobed like a leaf of the Red 

 Maple Corymbs terminating the young slender short branches,. Petals white. Styles 

 more or less united. Fruit small, bright reddish purple when mature. 



Banks of streams : Virginia to Georgia. Fl. June. Fr. October. 



Obs. This species is the one which has been chiefly cultivated for 

 hedging, in Pennsylvania — where it was introduced, from the vicinity of 

 Washington City, about the commencement of the present century. It 

 makes a handsome hedge, but not a very substantial one ; and, in my 

 opinion, is decidedly inferior to the Cockspur Thorn, for that purpose. 

 I have used it extensively ; but have found it so subject to be broken 

 into gaps, by thoughtless or reckless trespassers, that my hedges have 

 been rather a source of vexation than of satisfaction. 



3. C. oxyacan'tha, L. Leaves cuneate-obovate, cut-lobed, often trifid ; 

 styles 1 - 3 ; fruit ovoid, small. 



Sharp-thorned Cr.a.t^gus. Hawthorn. English Thorn. 



