Jones hawthorn

Shrubs or trees, 60–70 dm. Stems: twigs: new growth ± densely appressed-pubescent, 1-year old pale tan, 2-years old olive gray, older gray; thorns on twigs: frequency not recorded, straight to recurved, 1-year old chestnut brown, 2-years old shiny dark brown or black, slender to stout, 3–6 cm. Leaves: petiole 1.5–3.5 cm, length 35–50% blade, pubescent, eglandular; blade broadly ovate to broadly rhombic-elliptic or nearly circular, 4–7(–8) cm, length/width = 1–1.5, base tapered, wedge-shaped to subtruncate, lobes (4 or)5–9 per side, obscure, lobe apex usually acute, margins doubly serrate, veins 5–10 per side, apex acute, abaxial surface densely appressed-pubescent on veins, adaxial appressed-pubescent young, sparsely pubescent or glabrescent later. Inflorescences 8–15(–20)-flowered, ˂lax˃; branches with antrorse pubescence; bracteoles membranous, margins glandular. Flowers 18–23 mm diam.; hypanthium densely pubescent; sepals ˂6–8 mm˃, margins ± entire, abaxially pubescent; stamens 10, anthers pink; styles 2 or 3(or 4). Pomes bright red, oblong or obovoid, 10–15 mm diam., pubescent, glabrescent; sepals erect-patent; pyrenes 2 or 3(or 4).

Flowering Jun; fruiting Sep–Oct. Woodland glades, stream borders, rocky banks; of conservation concern; 10–200 m; N.B., N.S., P.E.I.; Maine.

Reports of Crataegus jonesiae from Quebec have not been substantiated; vegetatively similar plants from Matapédia and Matane counties have shallowly, laterally scarred pyrenes; sepals are gland-margined and are barely denticulate.

Crataegus jonesiae is usually placed in ser. Anomalae. However, it is a particularly distinct species that has smooth pyrenes and other similarities to C. punctata, and the possibility of a hybrid origin should be considered; its leaves range from nearly entire, prototypically punctate, to sharply lobed as in C. chrysocarpa.