Shrubs, 20–40 dm. Stems: twigs: young growth green or reddish-tinged, glabrous, 1-year old reddish black, 2-years old dark gray; thorns on twigs ± straight, 2-years old blackish, fine, 2–3.5 cm. Leaves: petiole length 25–40% blade, sessile or stipitate-glandular; blade narrowly ovate or ± oblong to narrowly obovate or narrowly rhombic, 2.5–5 cm, length/width = 1.5, thin, base cuneate, lobes 2–4 per side, sides ± bowed, sinuses shallow, max LII 10–30%, lobe apex obtuse to subacute, margins serrulate, ± distant from one another for their size, veins 4 or 5 (or 6) per side, apex acute, adaxial veins pilose young. Inflorescences 4–7-flowered (central axis very short); branches glabrous; bracteoles caducous, numerous, small, narrowly oblong, membranous, margins stipitate-glandular. Flowers 15–20 mm diam.; sepals narrowly triangular, 3–4 mm, margins glandular-serrate, teeth average size for series, apex obtuse, abaxially glabrous; anthers pink, small; styles 3. Pomes in clusters of 2–5, deep yellow, sometimes flushed red or purplish red, suborbicular, 6–7 mm diam.; sepals reflexed; pyrenes 3.

Phenology: Flowering mid Apr; fruiting Sep–Oct.
Habitat: Open or rocky woodlands, swamp borders
Elevation: 0–200 m

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss.

Discussion

Crataegus pulcherrima occurs from Louisiana to Georgia and northern Florida. Crataegus robur Beadle is similar and perhaps the same.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thin" is not a number."sessile" is not a number."adnate" is not a number."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.