THE HAWTHORNS - FAMILY ROSACEAE. Genus CRAT/EGUS, Linn. Small trees or shrubs, with rigid, thorny branches. Leaves simple, alternate, deciduous, stipulate, serrate, often lobed. Flowers perfect, usually white, in corymbs on short side twigs. Fruits drupe-like pomes, with hard nutlets containing the seeds. Wood hard, tough, reddish, close grained. Uses: Ornamental trees and hedge plants; wood used for tool handles and mallets.
KeY TO GROUPS AND TO SPECIES A. Nutlets not grooved in front.
B. Leaf veins extending to points of lobes; not to sinuses. C. Petioles short; leaves obovate, wedge shaped at base. D. Corymbs many-flowered.
E. Leaves leathery, dark green, shining above; fruit almost globular, nutlets I to 3, ridged on back.
I. Group CRUS-GALLI F. Stamens io, anthers rose colour; leaves thick, fruit dull red; spines stout, 4 to 6 inches long.
(C. Crus-galli) COCKSPUR THORN FF. Stamens 20, anthers yellow; leaves thin; fruit orange red; spines slender, I to 1+ inches long. (C. Mohr?) HAW EE. Leaves membranaceous or firm; veins strong; fruit usually dotted; nutlets 2 to 5, strongly ridged on back.
II. Group PUNCTAT/E - F. Fruit oblong, yellow or red, 4- to I inch long, with large, pale dots; stamens 20.
(C. punctata) DOTTED HAW FF. Fruit globose, to inch long, dull red, with small pale dots; stamens 20, yellow. (C. eollina) HAW DD. Corymbs few-flowered; flowers with leaves in February, stamens 20 to 25. with large, dark red anthers.
Iii. Group ASTIVALES (C. a'stivalis) MAY HAW CC. Petioles long, slender, scarcely glandular; leaves mem branaceous to leathery, narrow at base; corymbs many-flowered; fruit oblong to subglobose, a to inches in diameter.
IV. Group VIRIDES Fruit flattened, under inch in diameter, bright scarlet or orange. (C. viridis) HAW CCc. Petioles long, slender, glandular at apex.
D. Leaves broad at base; corymbs many-flowered.
E. Fruit flattened, to inch in diameter, green, with glaucous bloom, becoming dark purple-red and lustrous; leaves blue green, smooth.
V. Group PRUINOS/E Leaves elliptical (C. proinosa) HAW
EE. Fruit short oblong or obovate, to 5 inch long, scarlet to purple, leaves mem branaceous.
VI. Group TENUIFOLIA Leaves blue-green, rough.
(C. apiamorpha) HAW EEe. Fruit t inch in diameter, red or yellow, flesh thick, juicy; corymbs downy.
VII. Group MOLLES F. Stamens 20, anthers yellow; leaves broad and thick; fruit scarlet, downy.
(C. mollis) RED HAW FF. Stamens to, anthers yellow.
G. Fruit crimson, velvety, flattened.
(C. Arno/diarta) SCARLET HAW GG. Fruit orange red, lustrous.
(C. submollis) RED HAW FFf. Stamens io, anthers rose colour.
Fruit short oblong, bright crimson, shining.
(C. Ellwangcriana) SCARLET HAW EEeE. Fruit oblong, inch long, red, pulpy, lustrous; leaves lobed; anthers red.
Group FLABELLAT/E Stamens 5, rarely 6 to 8; leaves yellow green. (C. Ho/nzesiana) HAW EEEee. Fruit nearly round, / inch long, greenish red, calyx prominent; stamens zo, anthers rose coloured.
Group DI LATAT/E Flowers it inches across, few; leaves 2 to 3 inches long and broad, with deep side lobes. (C. coccinioides) HAW DD. Leaves wedge shaped at base.
E. Corymbs many-flowered; leaves dark green, lustrous above, fruit t to / inch long, nutlets 2 to 3, ridged on back.
Group COCCI N EfE Thorns i. inch long, brown, stout; fruit crimson, dry and sweet, leaves 2 to 3 inches long.
(C. coccinea) SCARLET HAW EE. Corymbs few-flowered; leaves membranaceous.
F. Fruit inch long, green or yellow; nutlets 3 to 5, rounded at ends, strongly ridged at back; leaves yellow-green.
Xl. Group INTRICATE Fruits 2 to 4 in clusters, erect, flat, rusty, reddish green, stamens 10, pale yellow. (C. Boynloni) liAW FF. Fruit inch long, red or orange; nutlets3 to 5 but slightly grooved on back; stamens zo, anthers rose coloured; leaves thin, sharply lobed.
Xii. Group PULCHERRIMJE Fruit bright red. (C. °pinta) HAW Fee. Fruit . to y inch long; nutlets 3 to 5, narrowed at ends, strongly ridged on back; bracts large; calyx lobes leaf like; stamens 20, anthers yellow; leaves dark, lustrous, leathery.