Beautiful hawthorn

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.

Flowering mid Apr; fruiting Sep–Oct. Open or rocky woodlands, swamp borders; 0–200 m; Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss.

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