Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge

Trees deciduous, to 6 m tall, with thorns 1–2 cm or sometimes unarmed. Branchlets purplish brown when young, grayish brown when old, terete, subglabrous or glabrous when young; buds purplish red, triangular-ovoid, glabrous. Stipules falcate, ca. 8 mm, herbaceous, margin serrate, apex acuminate; petiole 2–6 cm, glabrous; leaf blade dark green adaxially, broadly ovate or triangular-ovate, rarely rhomboidal-ovate, 5–10 × 4–7.5 cm, lateral veins 6–10 pairs, usually extending to apices of lobes and to sinuses between lobes, abaxially sparsely pubescent along veins, adaxially lustrous, base truncate or broadly cuneate, with 3–5 pairs of lobes, margin sharply irregularly doubly serrate, apex shortly acuminate. Corymb 4–6 cm in diam., many flowered; peduncle initially pubescent, glabrate, bracts caducous, linear-lanceolate, membranous, apex acuminate. Pedicel 4–7 mm, initially pubescent, glabrescent. Flowers ca. 1.5 cm in diam. Hypanthium campanulate, abaxially grayish white pubescent. Sepals triangular-ovate to lanceolate, 4–5 mm, both surfaces glabrous, apex shortly acuminate. Petals white, obovate or suborbicular, 7–8 × 5–6 mm. Stamens 20. Ovary 5-loculed, with 2 ovules per locule; styles 3–5, pubescent basally. Pome dark red, subglobose or pyriform, 1–2.5 cm in diam., glabrous; sepals persistent; pyrenes 3–5. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Aug–Sep. 2n = 34*, 102*.

Temperate. It will grow in most soils. It needs an open sunny position. It is resistant to drought and frost. In northern China it grows between 100-2,000 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 6-9.

The fruit are cooked and made into jellies, drinks and candied. They are also eaten raw. The fruit are toffee coated and sold threaded in slivers of bamboo. Fruit are used for wine. The young leaves are steamed with flour and eaten in soups.

Plants can be grown from seed. The seed need cold treatment. Plants can also be grafted. This is used where varieties selected for their fruit are used.