Texas Hawthorn (Crataegus mollis texana)
Description
This large shrub or small tree is 20-35' tall at maturity. It is has either a single or multiple trunks (usually the former) and a densely branched globoid crown. The trunk (or trunks) is relatively short, spanning 1-1-' across at maturity. Trunk bark is gray-brown, rough-textured, shallowly furrowed, and divided into irregular scaly plates. Branch bark is gray and more smooth, while twigs are brown with white lenticels. Young non-woody shoots are light green and pubescent. Relatively few thorns develop along the branches; they are 1-2" long, light gray to nearly black, and usually straight. Alternate deciduous leaves occur along the twigs and young shoots; they are 2-5" long and 2-4" across. Individual leaves are oval in outline and they are shallowly cleft with 3-5 lobes along both sides of their margins. The lobes are usually bluntly pointed, rather than rounded. The margins are serrated or doubly serrated. Leaf bases are slightly cordate to truncate. The upper leaf surface is medium or yellowish green and rough-textured from sparse stiff hairs; the lower surface is pale green and pubescent, especially along the lower sides of the veins. The slender petioles are --2" long, light green to reddish green, and pubescent. At the base of each petiole, there is pair of linear-lanceolate stipules (up to -" long) that have serrated margins.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Rosales
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Family: Rosaceae
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Genus: Crataegus
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