Crataegus nitens Sargent, Rep. (Annual) Missouri Bot. Gard. 22: 76. 1912

Stems: trunk bark dark gray or black, rough, thinly exfoliating whitish to light gray areas; 1-year old twigs reddish brown. Leaves: blade broadly elliptic to ovate, 3–4 cm, coriaceous, base ± rounded, lobes 0 or 1–3 per side, sinuses shallow to deep, max LII 5(–20)%, margins crenate, teeth 1 mm, venation craspedodromous, veins 5 per side, apex subacute, surfaces glabrous except abaxially with tufts of hair in vein axils. Inflorescences: branches glabrous. Flowers: hypanthium glabrous.

Flowering Apr; fruiting Sep–Oct. Stream bluffs; 100–200 m; Mo.

Variety nitens has been found near the northern limits of the Crataegus viridis complex near the Mississippi River at Hannibal. The leaves of var. nitens are more coriaceous than usual in C. viridis, the one-year twigs are usually a reddish brown, and the two-year twigs a darker gray. The variety may represent a hybrid with a member of ser. Pruinosae.