Shrub or small tree to 8 m (25 ft) in height and 10 cm (4 in) in diameter. Crown dense, rounded. Bark gray to orange brown, scaly. Twigs orange-brown to red-brown with numerous small lenticels. Stems turning gray with age, glabrous; spines 3.8-7.5 cm (1.5-3 in) long, slender, red-brown to purple. Leaves alternate, simple, ovate to obovate, 3.1-3.8 cm (1.2-1.5 in) long and 2-2.5 cm (0.8-1 in) wide; glabrous above, slightly hairy below, leathery, shiny dark green above, paler beneath; rounded at apex, margins crenate to serrate with gland-tipped teeth above the base; petioles short, broadly winged and glandular. Flowers in corymbs, glabrous, few in number, borne on long slender pedicels, about 13 mm (0.5 in) long; calyx-tube narrowly obconic with 5 lobes; petals 5, white; styles 2-5; stamens 10-15, yellow; flowers appear from April to May. Fruits pomes, about 10 mm (0.4 in) diameter, subglobose and drooping on long slender pedicels, shiny or dull red with dark dots; seeds 4, prominently ridged; fruits mature in September.
Distribution: northcentral Texas, southern and eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and southeast Kansas. Uncommon in Oklahoma.
Habitat: bottomlands and moist soils. Often forms thickets.
Comments: Crataegus is from the Greek meaning "flowering thorn"; named in honor of Julien Reverchon (1837 - 1905), a French immigrant to Texas and avid plant collector.
Wildlife benefits: In general, the fruits of hawthorn species are eaten by several species of birds.
NWI status: none
Distribution in Oklahoma: 
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Last update: 9/9/99
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