Shrubs, 20–30 dm. Stems: thorns 3–5 cm. Leaf blades: lobe apex acute, surfaces sparsely villous young, glabrescent. Inflorescence branches sparsely, sometimes densely, villous. Flowers 18–20 mm diam. Pomes pale orange, ˂strongly pruinose˃.

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

Nothovariety sicca is scattered throughout southern Missouri.

The small size of plant and leaves, with a certain amount of villosity, suggests Crataegus margarettae as one parent; the thorns, flowers, pomes, and leaf shape suggest C. pruinosa var. pruinosa for the other.