PULCHERRIMae Haw (C. opima, Beadl.)—Small tree zo to 25 feet high, with open, oval head, above a slender, spiny trunk. Thorns slender, straight, shining, r to 1 inches long. Bark nearly black at base; ashy grey on limbs. Leaves ovate, acute, sharply saw-toothed, lobed above middle, thin, firm, pale beneath. Flowers, few in clusters inch across, stamens zo, anthers purple. Fruit in October, persistent, small, few, bright red, mealy. Preferred habitat, clay soil in woods. Distribution, about Greenville, Alabama.
BRACTEATae Haw (C. Ashei, Beadl.)—Tree 15 to 20 feet high, with pyra midal head. Thorns slender, r to i inches long. Bark scaly, grey or brown. Leaves broadly ovate to obovate, about 2 inches long, finely serrate, blunt at apex, tapering to base. Flowers in May, 3 to to in cluster on hairy stems, inch across, stamens 20, anthers yellow. Fruit, October, bright red, 1 inch long, dotted, thick fleshed. Preferred habitat, clay soil of fallow land. Distribu tion, near Montgomery, Alabama.
FLAVae Haw (C. aprica, Beadl.)—Tree 15 to 20 feet high, or many stemmed shrub. Thorns straight, slender, chestnut brown, to inches long. Bark dark grey, deeply furrowed, with plate-like scales; branchlets brown to ashy grey. Leaves obovate or rhomboidal, acute or rounded, serrate, often faintly lobed at apex, entire at tapering base; thick, shiny, dark yellow-green at maturity, paler beneath, 1 to 2 inches long and wide; petioles short, winged. Flowers, May, 3 to 6 in corymbs, velvety stems, corollas f inch across, stamens lo, anthers yellow. Fruit late to ripen, 2 to 3 in cluster, inch in diameter, slightly flattened, dull orange red; calyx spreading, red tinged at base; flesh juicy, yellow, sweet; nutlets 3 to 5, ridged. Preferred habitat, dry woods of foothills. Distribution, southwestern Virginia, through western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee, northern Georgia and Alabama. Common at 1,50o to 3,000 feet above sea level.
Its contorted branches and dark, furrowed bark give this tree a picturesque appearance that matches well the wild, broken foothills it covers in thickets of considerable extent. Inured to high altitudes and exposed situations, yet it grows thriftily in the Arboretum at Boston. It is a striking tree in late autumn, when its leaves turn to purple, and the twigs are illuminated by the thickly clustered, orange-red fruit.
MICROCARpae Parsley Haw (C. apiifolia, Michx.)—Tree 15 to 20 feet, with horizontal, zigzag, twisted branches, forming irregular, wide, open head. Thorns stout, straight, brown, 1 to 1 inches long.
Wood hard, heavy, reddish brown, with satiny lustre. Leaves broadly ovate to round, with 5 to 7 lobes, separated by deep sinuses, and sharply toothed margins to the broad, entire base; bright green, smooth above, 1/ to 2 inches long; petioles slender, long. Flowers, March to April, inch long, in hairy, dense corymbs; stamens 20, anthers bright rose colour, styles 1 to 3. Fruits, October, persistent for several weeks, oblong, to inch long, scarlet; nutlets t to 3, grooved. Preferred habitat, stream borders, hummocks in pine barrens and swamp margins. Dis tribution, coast region from Virginia to Florida; westward to Arkansas and Texas. Uses: One of the finest and most abundant hawthorns in the valley of the Mississippi. Its graceful, parsley like leaves at once distinguish it from other species. The flowers and fruit are small, but abundant and very handsome.
Washington Thorn (C. cordata, Ait.)—Vigorous tree, compact, 25 to 4o feet high. Thorns numerous, slender, 1 to 2 inches long. Leaves triangular, i to 3 inches long, with 3 to 7 acute lobes, serrate, cordate at base, thin, shining, vivid red in autumn; petioles slender, long. Flowers, May, many in corymb, inch across, styles 5, stamens zo, anthers. Fruits, September, small, flat, scarlet, shining, hanging late into winter. Preferred habitat, moist woods. Distribution, Virginia to Alabama, to Illinois. Uses: A desirable ornamental and hedge thorn.
This species comes nearer than any of its relatives to the typical heart-shaped leaf, hence its Latin name. As the upper course of the Potomac River is the northernmost limit of its natural range, we may guess that it takes its common name from the capital city.
Very early, the Virginians sent the seed of this thorn to friends at home, so that it has long adorned European gardens. In the colonies, it was extensively planted for hedges. It proved hardy in all the Middle States, and is now naturalised by escape from old hedges in New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The compact habit of the tree, and the great multitude of its slender spines make it useful as a hedge plant. Besides, it is thrifty and grows rapidly. The flowers and berries make up in numbers for their small size. When the bright green foliage turns to vivid reds in the fall, the tree has already been conspicuous for some weeks by its coral red berries, which persist often till spring.