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Cockspur Thorn

Crataegus Crus-galli. Rose Family.

A shrub or low tree. Thorns.--Smooth; slender; often four inches long. Leaves.--Thick; dark green; shining above; somewhat wedge-shaped; toothed above the middle; tapering into a very short leaf-stalk. Flowers.--White; fragrant; in clusters on short side branches. Calyx, Corolla, etc.--As in above. Fruit.--Globular; red, in late summer or autumn. The cockspur thorn flowers in June. Its red fruit, somewhat suggesting a crab-apple, is conspicuous throughout the autumn and winter. There are several other species of thorn, and if a flower be found which proves, on analysis, to belong to this genus, a reference to Gray's "Manual" will lead to its farther identification.