171 



SCARLET HAWTHORN. 



Crataegus coccinea, Linnaeus. 



FORM — A small trae rarely excteding a height of 20 ft. with a diameter of 10 inches. 

 Trunk short, stout, bearing rather crooked spreading branches which form a broad and flat crown. 



BARK — Rather thin, light brown to ashy-gray, in time roughened by shallow fissures sepa- 

 rating small scales, 



TWIGS — Stiff, round in cross-section, at first greenish, later reddish, brownish or grayish, 



glossy, armed with slender usually straight, brown, glossy spines about 2 inches long. 



BUDS — Alternate, about i of an inch long, often almost spherical, very blunt-pointed, covered 

 with numerous, thick, blunt-pointed, chestnut-brown scales. Terminal bud usually present and 

 about same size as laterals. Lateral accessory buds are often found at the base of a thorn. 



LEAVES — Alternate, simple, broadly ovate, 1-5 inches long, rough-pubescent, tapering, 

 i roimdad or truncate at base, often slightly 5-9-lobed or deeply cut and finely serrate on 

 margin, pointed at apex. 



LEAF-SCARS — Alternate, more than 2-ranked, small, crescent-shaped, containing 3 bundle- 

 I scars. 



FLOWERS — Appear about June when leaves are almost fully developed. They are perfect, 



white, i-1 inch across, with disagreeable odor, arranged in few-flowered corymbs and borne 

 on hairy and slender stalks. 



FRUIT — Ripens in September or October and is arranged in small umbels, A subglobose to 

 ellipsoidal pome, yellowish-green, later dark reddish-brown, pubescent, about 2/5 of an inch 

 j thick, crowned with calyx lobes; containing usually 3-4 nutlets. 



i WOOD — Similar to that of the Cockspur Thorn, page 170, only heavier and more valuable, 

 i Used for canes, napkin rings, engraving blocks, rulers. The wood is of a high quality, taking 

 ; a fine polish but the trae is small and scarce. 



, DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS— The Scarlet Hawthorn, also known as White Thorn, 

 ' Scarlet Fruited Thorn, Thorn, Thorn Apple, and Hawthorn, can be distinguishel by its broadly 

 ■ ovate leaves and reddish-brown globose fruit, both of which are pubescent. The leaves are 

 5-9-lobed or deeply cut and finely serrate. The small nearly spherical chestnut-brown buds 

 and the slender usually straight thorns on the branches will aid in distinguishing it from most 

 of our native species of trees. It is next to impossible to distinguish all the species of the 

 genus Crataegus from each other. 



RANGE — Eastern Massachusetts and Vermont, southward through New York and Pennsylvania 

 to Nortn Carolina. 



DISTRIBUTION IN PENNSYLVANIA— Found throughout the State. Not so abundant in the 

 northern and southwestern parts as elsewhere. 



HABITAT — Usually found in rocky woods and old pastures with sandy or gravelly soil. 

 Rather common along fences. 



IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIES — This species is of no commercial importance in the forest. 

 It is, however, attractive on account of its flowers, autunanal color of its foliage, and the 

 color of its persistent fruit. 



