Flora of North America species comparison

The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Crataegus berberifolia

Crataegus flava

barberry hawthorn, barberry-leaf hawthorn

yellow hawthorn, yellowleaf hawthorn
Habit Shrubs or trees, 60 dm. Shrubs or trees, 50–60 dm.
Stems

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 straight or slightly flexuous, new growth color not recorded, glabrous, 1-year old purple-brown, older dark gray;

thorns on twigs straight to slightly recurved, 2-years old purple-brown, slender, 2–3 cm.
Leaves

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 1 mm wide, length 30–45% blade, winged distally, slightly pubescent, glandular;

blade rhombic-obovate, 5–8 cm (in type material), base cuneate, lobes 1–3 per side, sinuous, sinuses shallow, lobe apex obtuse to acute, margins crenate to crenate-serrate, teeth gland-tipped, veins 3 or 4 per side, apex subacute to obtuse, adaxial surface pubescent young, glabrescent.
Inflorescences

8–12-flowered;

branches densely pubescent;

bracteoles linear, margins glandular.

4–6-flowered;

branches glabrous or sparsely villous;

bracteole margins glandular.
Flowers

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.

16–18 mm diam.;

hypanthium glabrous;

sepals 4–5 mm, margins glandular;

stamens 13–16, anthers purple;

styles 3–5.
Pomes

reddish to yellow, suborbicular, 8–10 mm diam., glabrous;

sepals erose or patent;

pyrenes 2 or 3.

dull orange, ± pyriform-oblong, 8–12 mm diam., glabrous;

sepals on collar, ± reflexed;

pyrenes 3–5.

Crataegus berberifolia

Crataegus flava
Phenology Flowering early Apr; fruiting Sep–Oct.
Habitat Deep, sandy soil
Elevation 10–100 m (0–300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; KS; LA; MO; MS; NC; SC; TN
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; GA; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Of conservation concern.

Crataegus flava ranges from southeastern Georgia to South Carolina and northern Florida. Wild specimens of the typical form have not been seen since the early 1900s; vegetative specimens resembling this species were collected from the Florida panhandle in the early part of the present century.

Crataegus flava has been widely confused with members of both ser. Apricae and ser. Lacrimatae (J. B. Phipps et al. 2007). Its stamen number has been wrongly credited as 10 or 20; stamen number in the type has recently been verified as 13–16 by S. Landrein (Kew). Recent collections with 13–16 stamens are unknown. The correct stamen counts are unusual for Crataegus, which are mainly narrowly dispersed around modes of 10 or 20, so this perhaps suggests, together with its somewhat flexuous twigs, and rarity, hybrid origin. Crataegus flava is similar to C. rubella, particularly in fruit shape and color as well as general glandularity, so its placement with members of sect. Intricatae seems appropriate. Lack of recent collections similar to the type suggests that modern attributions to C. flava may represent hybrids involving members of ser. Apricae.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
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
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 540. FNA vol. 9, p. 588.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Crus-galli Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Intricatae
Sibling taxa
C. aemula, C. aestivalis, C. alabamensis, C. alleghaniensis, C. annosa, C. aprica, C. aquacervensis, C. ashei, C. atrovirens, C. attrita, C. austromontana, C. beata, C. biltmoreana, C. brachyacantha, C. brainerdii, C. brazoria, C. brittonii, C. buckleyi, C. calpodendron, C. castlegarensis, C. chrysocarpa, C. coccinea, C. coccinioides, C. cognata, C. collina, C. colonica, C. communis, C. compacta, C. condigna, C. craytonii, C. crocea, C. crus-galli, C. cupressocollina, C. delawarensis, C. dispar, C. dodgei, C. douglasii, C. egens, C. egregia, C. enderbyensis, C. erythropoda, C. exilis, C. eximia, C. extraria, C. fecunda, C. flabellata, C. flava, C. florens, C. floridana, C. florifera, C. fluviatilis, C. formosa, C. frugiferens, C. furtiva, C. gattingeri, C. gaylussacia, C. gilva, C. greggiana, C. harbisonii, C. holmesiana, C. ignava, C. incilis, C. integra, C. intricata, C. invicta, C. iracunda, C. irrasa, C. jesupii, C. jonesiae, C. lacrimata, C. laevigata, C. lanata, C. lancei, C. lanuginosa, C. lassa, C. laurentiana, C. leonensis, C. lepida, C. levis, C. lumaria, C. macracantha, C. macrosperma, C. magniflora, C. margarettae, C. marshallii, C. mendosa, C. meridiana, C. mira, C. mollis, C. monogyna, C. munda, C. nananixonii, C. neobushii, C. nitida, C. oakesiana, C. okanaganensis, C. okennonii, C. opaca, C. opima, C. orbicularis, C. ouachitensis, C. padifolia, C. pennsylvanica, C. persimilis, C. pexa, C. phaenopyrum, C. phippsii, C. pinetorum, C. populnea, C. prona, C. pruinosa, C. pulcherrima, C. punctata, C. purpurella, C. quaesita, C. reverchonii, C. rivularis, C. rivuloadamensis, C. rivulopugnensis, C. roribacca, C. rubella, C. rubribracteolata, C. saligna, C. sargentii, C. scabrida, C. schizophylla, C. schuettei, C. segnis, C. senta, C. sheila-phippsiae, C. sheridana, C. shuswapensis, C. sororia, C. spathulata, C. spes-aestatum, C. stolonifera, C. stonei, C. submollis, C. suborbiculata, C. succulenta, C. tecta, C. teres, C. texana, C. tracyi, C. triflora, C. turnerorum, C. uniflora, C. ursopedensis, C. venusta, C. viridis, C. visenda, C. wattiana, C. williamsii, C. wootoniana, C. ×atrorubens, C. ×bicknellii, C. ×coleae, C. ×collicola, C. ×disperma, C. ×dispessa, C. ×fretalis, C. ×incaedua, C. ×kelloggii, C. ×latebrosa, C. ×lucorum, C. ×rufula, C. ×sicca, C. ×vailiae
C. aemula, C. aestivalis, C. alabamensis, C. alleghaniensis, C. annosa, C. aprica, C. aquacervensis, C. ashei, C. atrovirens, C. attrita, C. austromontana, C. beata, C. berberifolia, C. biltmoreana, C. brachyacantha, C. brainerdii, C. brazoria, C. brittonii, C. buckleyi, C. calpodendron, C. castlegarensis, C. chrysocarpa, C. coccinea, C. coccinioides, C. cognata, C. collina, C. colonica, C. communis, C. compacta, C. condigna, C. craytonii, C. crocea, C. crus-galli, C. cupressocollina, C. delawarensis, C. dispar, C. dodgei, C. douglasii, C. egens, C. egregia, C. enderbyensis, C. erythropoda, C. exilis, C. eximia, C. extraria, C. fecunda, C. flabellata, C. florens, C. floridana, C. florifera, C. fluviatilis, C. formosa, C. frugiferens, C. furtiva, C. gattingeri, C. gaylussacia, C. gilva, C. greggiana, C. harbisonii, C. holmesiana, C. ignava, C. incilis, C. integra, C. intricata, C. invicta, C. iracunda, C. irrasa, C. jesupii, C. jonesiae, C. lacrimata, C. laevigata, C. lanata, C. lancei, C. lanuginosa, C. lassa, C. laurentiana, C. leonensis, C. lepida, C. levis, C. lumaria, C. macracantha, C. macrosperma, C. magniflora, C. margarettae, C. marshallii, C. mendosa, C. meridiana, C. mira, C. mollis, C. monogyna, C. munda, C. nananixonii, C. neobushii, C. nitida, C. oakesiana, C. okanaganensis, C. okennonii, C. opaca, C. opima, C. orbicularis, C. ouachitensis, C. padifolia, C. pennsylvanica, C. persimilis, C. pexa, C. phaenopyrum, C. phippsii, C. pinetorum, C. populnea, C. prona, C. pruinosa, C. pulcherrima, C. punctata, C. purpurella, C. quaesita, C. reverchonii, C. rivularis, C. rivuloadamensis, C. rivulopugnensis, C. roribacca, C. rubella, C. rubribracteolata, C. saligna, C. sargentii, C. scabrida, C. schizophylla, C. schuettei, C. segnis, C. senta, C. sheila-phippsiae, C. sheridana, C. shuswapensis, C. sororia, C. spathulata, C. spes-aestatum, C. stolonifera, C. stonei, C. submollis, C. suborbiculata, C. succulenta, C. tecta, C. teres, C. texana, C. tracyi, C. triflora, C. turnerorum, C. uniflora, C. ursopedensis, C. venusta, C. viridis, C. visenda, C. wattiana, C. williamsii, C. wootoniana, C. ×atrorubens, C. ×bicknellii, C. ×coleae, C. ×collicola, C. ×disperma, C. ×dispessa, C. ×fretalis, C. ×incaedua, C. ×kelloggii, C. ×latebrosa, C. ×lucorum, C. ×rufula, C. ×sicca, C. ×vailiae
Subordinate taxa
C. berberifolia var. berberifolia, C. berberifolia var. engelmannii
Name authority Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 469. (1840) Aiton: Hort. Kew. 2: 169. (1789)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



Type/paste one or more Latin names into the boxes above; matching taxa will show up below the box as you type. You can use the up/down arrow keys to move through the list.

(If the plant you're looking for doesn't show up in the auto-complete list, that means it either isn't described in Flora of North America yet, or it's listed under a synonym. And please note that Flora of North America is still missing several plant families, including Fabaceae, Apiaceae, Boraginaceae, and Polemoniaceae.)

Choose a data source: Flora of North America

The species comparison tool is brought to you by:
Northwest Wildflowers