Leaves ovate, mostly 3-7 cm long, 2.5-5 cm wide, acute or acuminate at the apex, obtuse, rounded or subcordate at the base, sharply serrate nearly to the base, usually incised on the upper half or two thirds of the blades with 2-4 pairs of triangular lobes terminating in acuminate, spreading or reflexed teeth, thin, finely scabrate on the upper surface when young, otherwise glabrous; petioles slender, eglandular or with a few small glands; flowers 15-18 mm in diameter, in usually 5-10-flowered, glabrous corymbs; stamens generally 5-10; anthers pink or rose color ; calyx lobes entire or slightly serrate toward the base; fruit obovoid, ellipsoid or nearly globose, 7-12 mm thick, 8-14 mm long, bright red and succulent at maturity, often slightly glaucous; calyx small and sessile; nutlets 3-5. A small tree up to 7-8 m high, or sometimes lower and shrubby, with gray, slightly scaly bark, stiff, erect or spreading branches, and stout, often flexuous branchlets, armed with stout, curved thorns. General but not common in Indiana, growing in pastures, thickets, and open woods, preferring well drained soils near streams.