These shrubs were in a remote prairie. They were about 8 feet tall by 8 feet wide,
with multiple trunks. Twigs were
glabrous. The leaves were about 2 inches
long by 1 inch wide, with sharp, finely serrate, non-glandular margins. Leaves were hairy underneath, especially on the
veins. They had already flowered, and the petals had dropped. The flowers were scattered at alternating locations along stems, and were usually in pairs. The sepals and hypanthium were densely
hairy. Larger branches had 2-3 inch long
branch-like structures that looked like stout thorns. These plants probably weren't pears, because the leaves were too small, and the flowers
too scattered for our two pear species. I
was thinking this could be a crabapple. Also
wondered about Prunus insititia, which can apparently have thorns.