Crataegus berberifolia
Crataegus crus-galli
barberry hawthorn, barberry-leaf hawthorn
aubépine ergot-de-coq, bush hawthorn, cockspur hawthorn
twigs: new growth orange-brown or green tinged with red, ± pubescent, 1-year old brown, older gray;
thorns on twigs ± straight or recurved, 2-years old shiny black to chestnut brown, fine or stouter, (2–)3–4(–6.5) cm.
twigs: new growth glabrous, 1-year old pale brown, older gray;
thorns on twigs often ± recurved, 2-years old dark gray to blackish, ± stout, 3–6 cm.
petiole 4–6 mm, length 13–18% blade, glabrescent, eglandular;
blade narrowly obovate to oblanceolate, (2.5–)3(–4) cm, coriaceous, base narrowly cuneate, lobes 0, margins finely crenate or serrate except at base, or only beyond widest part, venation craspedodromous, veins 4–6 per side, apex subacute to obtuse, lustrous, abaxial surface ± densely pilose on veins, sometimes pubescent on surface, adaxial hairy young, glabrescent or becoming scabrous.
petiole obsolescent or 5 mm, length 0–7% blade, glabrous, eglandular;
blade usually deep green, very shiny adaxially, broadly spatulate to narrowly oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic, 2–7 cm, coriaceous, base tapered, lobes 0, margins serrulate to finely crenate, teeth 1 mm, venation semicamptodromous, veins 4–7 per side, apex acute to obtuse, adaxial surface glabrous, sometimes sparsely hairy young, glabrescent.
8–12-flowered;
branches densely pubescent;
bracteoles linear, margins glandular.
8–20-flowered;
branches usually glabrous;
bracteoles linear, small, margins sessile-glandular.
10–20 mm diam.;
hypanthium villous or glabrous;
sepals 3–5 mm, margins entire, abaxially glabrous;
stamens 10 or 20, anthers cream or pink;
styles 2 or 3.
12–17 mm diam.;
hypanthium glabrous;
sepals 5–6 mm, margins ± entire, adaxially glabrous;
stamens 10 or 20, anthers ivory to pink to red;
styles 1 or 2(or 3).
reddish to yellow, suborbicular, 8–10 mm diam., glabrous;
sepals erose or patent;
pyrenes 2 or 3.
usually ruddy to crimson, sometimes bright yellow, ± oblong to suborbicular, 8–15 mm diam., often pruinose, glabrous;
sepals patent-reflexed;
pyrenes 1 or 2(or 3).
= 34, 51, 68.
Crataegus berberifolia
Crataegus crus-galli
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Crataegus berberifolia is widespread from Texas to Missouri, Florida, and Virginia; it is particularly abundant in Louisiana.
Crataegus berberifolia is little differentiated from some forms of C. crus-galli, except in indumentum; it has relatively small and less variably shaped leaves. Its distribution is quite different. Intermediates with hairy leaves and glabrous inflorescences or nearly glabrous leaves and hairy inflorescences may represent hybrids with C. crus-galli (where they might be reached in the key). Such a situation is found in C. araioclada. Abrasion of the adaxial leaf pubescence may occur, rendering identification more difficult with fruiting material. Crataegus berberifolia has a plethora of yellow and orange-fruited forms, particularly from southern Louisiana. Crataegus fera and C. tersa are red-fruited, C. crocina yellow. The fruit color in the type is unknown; E. J. Palmer (in specimen annotation) called it yellow-orange. A form with exceptionally white-tomentose leaves near Copenhagen, Louisiana, is probably this species. Crataegus regalis var. paradoxa (Sargent) E. J. Palmer, from Missouri and adjacent Kansas and Arkansas, is probably a hybrid between the deeply serrated 'regalis' leaf form of C. crus-galli and a form of C. berberifolia. Two common forms of C. berberifolia occur, treated here as varieties: var. engelmannii with ten pink anthers and var. berberifolia with 20 cream anthers. Forms with 20 pink or ten cream anthers also occur sporadically.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Crataegus crus-galli is one of the more abundant North American hawthorns and has been reported as naturalized in Holland and other parts of Europe. It may occur in more or less pure stands sometimes many hectares in size. This species is variable, a situation attested to by its synonymy, most of which belongs to var. crus-galli. Some forms are locally distinct and may represent apomictic clones. In this treatment, only one variety other than var. crus-galli is recognized, this on the basis of leaf shape.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Stamens 20, anthers usually cream; flowers 16–20 mm diam. | var. berberifolia |
1. Stamens 10, anthers usually pink; flowers 10–15 mm diam. | var. engelmannii |
1. Leaf blades: relatively wide (1.5:1–2.5:1). | var. crus-galli |
1. Leaf blades: extremely narrow (greater than 2.75:1). | var. pyracanthifolia |
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