Crataegus chlorosarca Maxim.

A small, mostly unarmed tree, of pyramidal habit; young shoots stout, warted, slightly hairy at first, becoming by autumn deep brown-purple, with large, almost black buds. Leaves 2 to 33⁄4 in. long, nearly as wide at the base, triangular or broadly ovate, broadly wedge-shaped towards the stalk, rather shallowly seven- or nine-lobed, the lobes finely toothed, both sides hairy, the upper one becoming glabrous, very dark green; stalk 1⁄3 to 3⁄4 in. long; stipules gland-toothed. Flowers white, 1⁄2 in. across; produced in corymbs 2 in. in diameter; outside of calyx and flower-stalks hairy; calyx-lobes minutely toothed; stamens twenty; styles five. Fruit black, 1⁄2 in. diameter, flattened-globose.

Native of Manchuria and Japan; fairly common in gardens, where it is admired for the deep colouring of its branchlets. C. chlorosarca is only likely to be confused with dsungarica or songorica, which have also black fruit; it is distinguished from these by the shallower lobes of the leaves, their abrupter points, and finer teeth.