Part 59

Leaves oblong-obovate, acute or rounded at apex, gradually narrowed below from near the middle to the cuneate entire base, sharply and often doubly serrate usually only above the middle with straight or incurved teeth tipped early in the season with a minute dark red caducous gland, and often more or less deeply divided toward the apex into short broad acute lobes, when they unfold bright bronze-yellow or dark red, and covered with short pale hairs, almost smooth and nearly fully grown when the flowers open at the end of May, and at maturity glabrous, thick, dark green and lustrous above, pale below, 1½′—2′ long, and 1′—1½′ wide, with a thin midrib, and 4 or 5 pairs of primary veins extending obliquely toward the end of the leaf, and raised and prominent below; petioles slender, glabrous, usually about ½′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots often oval or broad-ovate, frequently 3′ long and 2½′ wide. Flowers ⅓′ in diameter, on long slender pedicels, in broad loose many-flowered corymbs pubescent or puberulous at first but soon glabrous; calyx-tube narrowly obconic, coated toward the base with long matted pale hairs, the lobes narrow, acuminate, coarsely glandular-serrate, glabrous on the outer surface, villose on the inner surface; stamens 10; anthers small, rose color; styles 2 or 3, surrounded at base by a narrow ring of pale tomentum. Fruit ripening early in October and remaining on the branches until November, on elongated pedicels, in loose drooping many-fruited clusters, globose, bright scarlet, slightly pruinose, marked by occasional large pale dots, about ⅓′ in diameter; calyx prominent, with much enlarged coarsely glandular-serrate lobes often deciduous before the fruit becomes entirely ripe; flesh thin and yellow; nutlets 2 or 3, thick and broad, about ¼′ long.

A tree, occasionally 20° high, with a tall trunk 3′—7′ in diameter, often armed with long slender much-branched ashy gray spines, spreading branches forming a round-topped symmetrical head, and branchlets occasionally slightly villose when they first appear, soon glabrous, light orange-brown in their first season, and reddish or grayish brown the following year, and furnished with numerous thin straight or slightly curved shining chestnut-brown spines 2′—3′ long.

Distribution. Open woods near the banks of small streams in the prairie region of Stark and Peoria Counties, Illinois.

III. ÆSTIVALES.

CONSPECTUS OF THE ARBORESCENT SPECIES.

Leaves glabrous with the exception of small axillary tufts of pale hairs on the lower surface, oblong-obovate; stamens 15—20; anthers pink or pale rose color. 38. C. æstivalis (C). Leaves hoary-tomentose below early in the season, becoming villose with rufous hairs most abundant on the midrib and veins; stamens 20; anthers deep rose color. Leaves oblong-obovate, acute or broad and rounded at apex, often slightly lobed above the middle, lustrous above; pedicels villose-pubescent. 39. C. rufula (C). Leaves elliptic to oblong-cuneiform, narrowed at apex, dull above; pedicels glabrous. 40. C. opaca (C).

38. Cratægus æstivalis Sarg. May Haw. Apple Haw.

_Mespilus æstivalis_ Walt.

Leaves oblong-obovate, rounded or acute at apex, gradually narrowed and cuneate at base, glabrous with the exception of small axillary tufts of pale hairs, and coarsely crenately serrate above the middle with gland-tipped teeth, beginning to unfold as the flowers open the middle of March, and when the fruit ripens at the end of May thin, dark green and lustrous above, yellow-green below, 1¼′—2′ long, and ⅓′—¾′ wide, with a slender yellow midrib and obscure primary veins; petioles slender, narrow wing-margined to below the middle, rarely furnished with occasional deciduous glands, about ¼′ in length; leaves at the ends of vigorous shoots elliptic to oblong-obovate, acute and usually abruptly short-pointed at apex, concave-cuneate at base, often lobed with one or two lateral lobes. Flowers ¾′ in diameter, on pedicels about ⅓′ long, in compact 2 or 3-flowered corymbs; calyx-tube narrowly obconic, glabrous, the lobes gradually narrowed from a broad base, short, entire, without glands, acute or acuminate and often red at apex, persistent and red on the fruit; stamens 15—20; anthers large, pink or pale rose color; styles usually 3. Fruit on a short slender erect pedicel, about ⅓′ long, usually solitary, short-oblong, scarlet, lustrous, about ⅓′ in length, the calyx persistent with erect lobes; flesh yellow, juicy, acidulous; nutlets usually 3, acute at ends, rounded and slightly ridged on the back, ¼′ long.

A slender tree, 20°—25° high, with a tall stem 6′—8′ in diameter, covered with pale flaky bark, erect or slightly spreading branches forming a narrow head, and slender straight or slightly zigzag branchlets chestnut-brown and lustrous during their first season, and dull gray-brown the following year, and armed with stout straight gray spines ½′—1¼′ in length.

Distribution. Low river banks, the borders of swamps and in depressions filled with water during most of the year; banks of the Ogeechee River near Meldrim, Effingham County, and near Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia; swamp of the Combahee River near Yemassee, Hampton County, and near Aiken, Aiken County, South Carolina; pond holes eight or nine miles west of Newbern, Craven County, North Carolina; passing into var. _maloides_ Sarg. with young leaves tinged with red and villose along the upper side of the midrib, those at the end of vigorous shoots sometimes broad-obovate, rounded and divided at apex into 3 short rounded lobes, longer acuminate calyx-lobes and dark red anthers. Wet prairies, Volusia County, Florida; and into var. _cerasoides_ Sarg. differing in the presence of short white hairs on the upper surface of the young leaves, in the longer acuminate calyx-lobes slightly villose on the inner surface and often minutely serrate near the middle, in the dark rose-colored anthers, and the late ripening fruit up to ½′ in diameter, on drooping pedicels often ½′ in length. An arborescent shrub with a round-topped head 30°—40° across, numerous large erect and spreading stems often 30° high, covered with smooth pale bark separating into thin plate-like scales, in falling disclosing the dull red inner bark, and slender nearly straight glabrous branchlets armed with straight slender spines 1′—1½′ in length. Fruit ripening late in July and in August. Low, wet, often inundated prairies near Sewall, Valusia County, Bradfordville, Leon County, Jasper, Hamilton County, and Quincy, Gadsden County, Florida. A form of this variety growing in Valusia County (f. _luculenta_ Sarg.) differs in the more numerous hairs on the upper surface of the young leaves, in the rather smaller flowers, smaller and less juicy fruit ripening at the end of June or early in July, and in its often arborescent habit.

39. Cratægus rufula Sarg.

_Cratægus æstivalis_ Torr. & Gray in part, not _Mespilus æstivalis_ Walt.

Leaves oblong-obovate, acute or rounded at apex, gradually narrowed, cuneate and entire at base, finely crenately glandular-serrate, and often slightly lobed above the middle; with short rounded lobes, covered above with soft pale hairs and whitish tomentose below when they unfold, and at maturity thick, dark green, lustrous and glabrous or slightly pubescent along the midrib on the upper surface, rufous-pubescent especially on the midrib and veins on the lower surface, 1½′—2′ long, and ¾′—1¼′ wide, rarely not more than 1′ long and ½′ wide; petioles slender, villose-pubescent with rufous hairs, occasionally glandular, ¼′—⅓′ in length; leaves at the ends of vigorous shoots oblong-obovate, rounded and short-pointed to elliptic and acuminate, laterally lobed, or deeply 3-lobed at apex, often 2½′ long and 1½′ wide. Flowers appearing from the 10th to the end of March, ¾′—1′ in diameter, in mostly 3—5-flowered clusters, on villose-pubescent pedicels about ⅓′ in length; calyx-tube broadly obconic, glabrous or villose-pubescent sometimes in the same cluster, the lobes gradually narrowed from a broad base, acuminate, entire or slightly glandular-serrate nearly to apex, glabrous or slightly pubescent on the outer surface; stamens 20; anthers dark rose color; styles 3—5, surrounded at base by a ring of white tomentum. Fruit ripening at the end of May, often solitary on glabrous erect pedicels ¼′—½′ long, subglobose, scarlet, lustrous, about ½′ in diameter, the calyx persistent with erect lobes; nutlets only slightly grooved on the back, about ¼′ long.

A tree, sometimes 30° high, with a tall trunk 8′—10′ in diameter, covered with rough deeply furrowed dark bark, paler and less deeply furrowed on smaller and younger stems, stout ascending and spreading branches forming a broad round-topped head, and slender slightly zigzag branchlets covered when they first appear with pale tomentum, glabrous or rusty tomentose until the early summer, becoming chestnut-brown, lustrous and glabrous before autumn and dull gray in their second year, and unarmed or armed with slender or stout straight spines ½′—1½′ in length.

Distribution. Depressions filled with water except at midsummer, sandy borders of ponds and streams and low wet prairies, Cottondale and Round Lake, Jackson County, and Quincy, Gadsden County, Florida; near Bainbridge, Decatur County, and Albany, Dougherty County, Georgia; near Dothan, Houston County, Alabama; pond holes along the Neuse River near Goldsboro, Wayne County, North Carolina.

40. Cratægus opaca Hook.

_Cratægus æstivalis_ Torr. & Gray in part, not _Mespilus æstivalis_ Walt.

Leaves elliptic to oblong-cuneiform, gradually narrowed and acute or bluntly pointed at apex, cuneate at the often glandular base, finely crenately serrate above the middle with minute glandular teeth, pilose above and hoary-tomentose below when they unfold, and at maturity dull dark green and glabrous or slightly hairy on the midrib on the upper surface, pubescent on the lower surface with rusty brown hairs most abundant on the midrib and veins, 2′—2½′ long, and ½′—1′ wide; petioles slender, villose-pubescent, about ¼′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots elliptic to oblong-ovate, often irregularly laterally lobed, and 2½′—3′ long and wide. Flowers appearing in February and March before or with the unfolding of the leaves, 1′ in diameter, on glabrous pedicels ½′ long, in 3—5-flowered corymbs; calyx-tube broadly obconic, glabrous, the lobes narrowed from a wide base, short, nearly triangular, acute and tipped at apex with a conspicuous gland, entire or minutely serrate, glabrous, often deeply tinged with red; stamens 20; anthers large, deep rose color; styles 3—5, surrounded at base by a broad ring of pale tomentum. Fruit ripening early in May, in usually 2—3-fruited clusters, depressed-globose, scarlet, lustrous, dotted with pale spots, ½′—⅔′ in diameter, with a small narrow cavity surrounded by the erect calyx-lobes; nutlets 3—5, rounded at the ends, rounded and slightly grooved on the back, ¼′ long.

A tree, 20°—30° high, with a tall stem occasionally 1° in diameter, covered with deeply fissured bark, divided into dark red-brown persistent scales, slender mostly erect branches forming a narrow round-topped head, and slender branchlets villose-pubescent when they first appear, soon glabrous, lustrous and bright chestnut-brown during their first season, becoming dull gray in their second year, and armed with stout straight chestnut-brown spines ½′—1′ in length, or more often unarmed; occasionally with several stems forming a large shrub.

Distribution. In deep depressions filled with water for most of the year, low river banks and borders of swamps; near Mt. Vernon, Mobile County, and near Selma, Dallas County, Alabama; southern Mississippi (Meridian, Lauderdale County, and Hattiesburg, Forest County); eastern Louisiana; sometimes in St. Tammany Parish covering large tracts almost to the exclusion of other plants; western Louisiana from the coast to nearly the northern border of the state, and eastern Texas to the valley of the Trinity River; rare and local east of the Mississippi River; common westward. The fruit is largely used in making preserves and jellies.

IV. VIRIDES.

CONSPECTUS OF THE ARBORESCENT SPECIES.

Stamens 20. Fruit not exceeding ⅓′ in diameter. Anthers pale yellow. Corymbs, branchlets and leaves glabrous. Bark of the trunk pale gray, close and smooth. Leaves ovate to oblong-obovate, acute or acuminate, rarely rounded at apex; fruit depressed-globose, bright scarlet or orange. 41. C. viridis (A, C). Leaves ovate, acute, often broadly cuneate at base; fruit subglobose, orange-red. 42. C. ovata (A). Leaves oval or ovate, acute, rounded or broadly cuneate at base; fruit globose, yellow-green flushed with red. 43. C. vulsa (C). Bark of the trunk dark brown or nearly black; leaves subcoriaceous. Leaves oblong-ovate to semiorbicular, acute, often short-pointed or rarely rounded at apex; fruit short-oblong to obovoid or globose, dull orange color. 44. C. glabriuscula. Leaves oval to rhombic, acute or acuminate; fruit subglobose to short-oblong, bright orange-red. 45. C. blanda (C). Corymbs and branchlets villose-pubescent; leaves ovate or obovate, acute or rounded at apex; fruit subglobose, orange-red. 46. C. velutina (C). Anthers deep rose color; leaves elliptic to oblong-ovate, acute, acuminate or rarely rounded at apex; fruit globose or subglobose, orange-red. 47. C. arborescens (C). Fruit ½′—¾′ in diameter. Anthers yellow. Leaves cuneate at base; calyx-tube glabrous. Leaves lanceolate to oblong-obovate, acuminate; fruit short-oblong, dull brick red covered with a glaucous bloom. 48. C. nitida (A). Leaves obovate to oval or rhombic, acute or rarely rounded at apex; fruit subglobose to short-oblong, dark crimson. 49. C. mitis (A). Leaves, broad and rounded at base, ovate, acute; calyx-tube villose; fruit subglobose to short-oblong, dark red. 50. C. atrorubens (A). Anthers rose color; corymbs villose; fruit red. Leaves obovate, oval or ovate, acute, scabrate above; fruit globose to subglobose, anthers deep rose color. 51. C. ingens (C). Leaves broadly obovate, oval or ovate, acute or acuminate, smooth above; fruit globose or depressed-globose; anthers pale rose color. 52. C. penita (C). Stamens usually 10; occasionally 12—20; anthers bright red; leaves oblong-obovate to oval, usually acute or acuminate; fruit subglobose to short-oblong, bright orange-red. 53. C. micracantha (C).

41. Cratægus viridis L.

_Cratægus Davisii_ Sarg.

Leaves ovate to oblong-obovate or oval, acute or acuminate or rarely rounded at apex, gradually narrowed to the cuneate base, finely serrate above with incurved glandular teeth, and sometimes slightly 3-lobed toward the apex, tinged with red and slightly hairy above when they unfold, nearly fully grown when the flowers open in April and May, and at maturity membranaceous to subcoriaceous, dark green and lustrous on the upper surface, paler on the lower surface, with large axillary tufts of pale hairs, 1′—2′ long, and ½′—1′ wide, with a thick midrib and conspicuous primary veins; often turning brilliant scarlet late in the autumn before falling; petioles slender, 1′—1½′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots often deeply laterally lobed with narrow acuminate lobes, and 2½′—4′ long, and 1½′—2′ wide. Flowers ¾′ in diameter, on long slender pedicels, in many-flowered corymbs; calyx-tube narrowly obconic, glabrous, the lobes lanceolate, entire; stamens 20; anthers pale yellow; styles 2—5, usually 5, surrounded at base by conspicuous tufts of pale hairs. Fruit ripening in the autumn and mostly persistent on the branches through the winter, on long slender pedicels, in drooping many-fruited clusters, depressed-globose, bright scarlet or orange, ⅛′—¼′ in diameter; calyx little enlarged, the lobes often deciduous from the ripe fruit; nutlets usually 5, narrowed and rounded at the ends, rounded and slightly grooved or ridged on the back, 1/16′—⅛′ long.

A tree, 20°—35° high, with a straight often fluted trunk 8°—12° tall, and 18′—20′ in diameter, covered with close gray or pale orange-colored bark, small branches forming a round rather compact head, and slender glabrous branchlets ashy gray to light red-brown in their first winter, and unarmed or occasionally armed with slender sharp pale spines ¾′—1′ long.

Distribution. On the often inundated borders of streams and swamps, rarely in drier ground on low slopes; southeastern Virginia (banks of the Blackwater River near Zuni, Isle of Wight County), North Carolina (Salisbury, Rowan County), South Carolina (near Aiken, Aiken County), eastern Georgia (near Augusta, Richmond County, and Macon, Bibb County), western Florida (River Junction, Gadsden County, and Tallahassee, Leon County to the swamps of the lower Apalachicola River), and westward through central and southern Alabama, southern Mississippi, and Louisiana to the valley of the San Antonio River (Sutherland Springs, Wilson County), Texas, and to central and western Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma and southeastern Missouri (Butler County), and northward in the region adjacent to the Mississippi River from Louisiana to northeastern Missouri, and to Pike County, Illinois, ranging eastward in Mississippi to Tishomingo County in the northeastern corner of the state, to northwestern Georgia, southeastern Tennessee, and to Richland County, Illinois; rare and local in the Atlantic and east Gulf states; common and often forming great thickets in western Louisiana, the coast region of eastern Texas, southern Arkansas, and in the region adjacent to the Mississippi River.

42. Cratægus ovata Sarg.

Leaves ovate, acute, broadly or acutely concave-cuneate at the entire base, coarsely often doubly serrate above with glandular teeth, and occasionally slightly divided into short lateral lobes, nearly fully grown when the flowers open early in May and then dark green, very smooth and glabrous above with the exception of a few short scattered hairs near the base of the midrib, paler below, with small persistent axillary tufts of white hairs, and at maturity membranaceous, 2′—2½′ long, and 1½′—2′ wide, with a slender yellow midrib and primary veins; petioles slender, rose-colored in the autumn, about ¾′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots rounded or truncate at the broad base, coarsely serrate, and sometimes 3′ long and wide. Flowers about ½′ in diameter, on long slender pedicels, in broad loose many-flowered corymbs; calyx-tube narrowly obconic, glabrous, the lobes broad acute, entire or coarsely glandular-serrate toward the apex, glabrous; styles 5. Fruit ripening in October, on elongated pedicels, in long drooping clusters, subglobose or a little longer than broad, orange-red, ¼′—5/16′ long; calyx enlarged, with elongated closely appressed lobes sometimes deciduous from the ripe fruit; nutlets 5, acute at the ends, rounded or slightly ridged on the back, about 3/16′ long.

A tree, 25°—30° high, with a tall trunk sometimes a foot in diameter, covered with smooth gray bark, slender glabrous branchlets light reddish brown and lustrous during their first year, becoming grayish brown in their second season, and unarmed or armed with occasional dark purple slender slightly curved shining spines 1′ long.

Distribution. Low moist soil on the banks of the River Desperes, South St. Louis, St. Louis County, and near Alba, Jasper County, Missouri.

43. Cratægus vulsa Beadl.

Leaves oval or ovate, acute, broad and rounded or broad-cuneate at the entire base, irregularly and often doubly serrate above with straight or incurved gland-tipped teeth, and often divided into several short acute lateral lobes, when they unfold dark bronze-red, and pilose with scattered caducous hairs, and furnished below with tufts of pale often persistent hairs in the axils of the principal veins, nearly fully grown when the flowers open late in April, and at maturity thin, bright green on the upper surface, paler on the lower surface, about 2′ long and 1½′ wide, with a slender midrib and 4 or 5 pairs of thin pale yellow primary veins; turning in the autumn yellow or brown; petioles slender, somewhat villose at first, soon becoming glabrous, about ¾′ in length; leaves at the end of vigorous shoots broadly ovate, acute or acuminate, broad and rounded or occasionally truncate or broadly cuneate at base, more coarsely serrate and more deeply lobed, often 3′ long and 2½′ wide, with a stout winged glandular petiole. Flowers ¾′ in diameter, on slender pedicels, in compact 3—10-flowered corymbs, with linear acuminate glandular red bracts and bractlets; calyx-tube broadly obconic, glabrous, the lobes gradually narrowed from a broad base, acuminate, entire or occasionally obscurely serrate toward the apex, glabrous; stamens 20; anthers pale yellow; styles 3—5, surrounded at base by a thin ring of pale hairs. Fruit ripening at the end of September or early in October, on slender pedicels, in few-fruited drooping clusters, globose, yellow-green flushed with red, ⅓′ in diameter; calyx prominent, with closely appressed lobes; flesh yellow-green; nutlets 3—5, thin, rounded, sometimes slightly ridged and grooved on the back, about 3/16′ long.

A tree, occasionally 20° high, with a tall trunk 5′—6′ in diameter, covered with thin fissured bark separating into light gray scales tinged with brown, and often armed with long compound spines, ascending or spreading branches forming an oval usually compact symmetrical head, and slender nearly straight glabrous chestnut-brown branchlets becoming gray, and armed with thin nearly straight bright chestnut-brown shining spines 1′—1½′ long; sometimes a shrub, with numerous stems.

Distribution. Rich moist soil in the neighborhood of streams; northwestern Georgia and northeastern Alabama.

44. Cratægus glabriuscula Sarg.