Flora of North America species comparison

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Crataegus berberifolia

Crataegus fluviatilis

barberry hawthorn, barberry-leaf hawthorn

river hawthorn
Habit Shrubs or trees, 60 dm. Shrubs or trees, multi-stemmed, 30–40(–70) 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: new growth golden green to strongly reddish tinged, sparsely pubescent or glabrous, 1-year old usually shiny, dark brown, older gray;

thorns on twigs 1-year old shiny, deep brown to blackish, often black-tipped, stout to slender, 2.5–5 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 length 30–60% blade, sparsely to densely glandular;

blade ovate, 3–6 cm, base subcordate, truncate, or rounded to cuneate, lobes 3–6 per side, sinuses shallow to moderately deep, lobe apex acute to acuminate, margins serrate, teeth numerous, small, larger ones conspicuously glandular, particularly at base, smaller ones inconspicuously gland-tipped, veins 4–6 per side, apex acute, adaxial surface densely appressed-scabrous-pubescent young, glabrescent.
Inflorescences

8–12-flowered;

branches densely pubescent;

bracteoles linear, margins glandular.

5–12-flowered;

branches pubescent;

bracteoles usually absent (even young), sometimes few to several, often red-tinged, ± linear.
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.

12–17 mm diam.;

hypanthium glabrous;

sepals 4–5 mm, margins subentire to weakly serrate, usually eglandular, abaxially glabrous or pubescent;

stamens 5–10, anthers pink to reddish purple;

styles 3–5.
Pomes

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

sepals erose or patent;

pyrenes 2 or 3.

bright to deep red, suborbicular to ellipsoid, 8–15 mm diam.;

sepals erose or erect-patent;

pyrenes 3–5, dorsally shallowly grooved.

Crataegus berberifolia

Crataegus fluviatilis
Phenology Flowering May–Jun; fruiting Sep–Oct.
Habitat Old fields, fencerows, brush, woodland margins, open woods
Elevation 0–500 m (0–1600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; KS; LA; MO; MS; NC; SC; TN
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; IL; MA; ME; MI; MN; NH; NY; RI; VT; WI; ON; QC
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.)

Crataegus fluviatilis includes a range of intermediates between C. flabellata and C. macrosperma. There are three main forms. In the typical form, sporadic in Quebec and New England, the glandular-serration of the sepal margins is less pronounced and the inflorescence branches at anthesis are less densely hairy than in C. flabellata, but the leaves are more similar to those of C. macrosperma. They could represent rare hybrid derivatives of these two species. In the central Great Lakes region (Illinois to Ontario), more frequent forms occur attributable to C. apiomorpha, similar to sympatric C. macrosperma, differing mainly in their soft-hairy inflorescences. More complex variation occurs in Minnesota, where forms with densely pubescent inflorescences occur in local populations, often intermixed with otherwise identical C. macrosperma (glabrous inflorescences). Both the latter are notable for their serrate sepal margins, not the norm for C. macrosperma. Into the mix are identical forms with 20 stamens, which perhaps are C. asperata Sargent. This Minnesota complex is notable for smallish leaves (4–6 cm), is constant for characters other than those mentioned above, and suggests active introgression.

Confusion between the Minnesota form of Crataegus fluviatilis and sympatric C. chrysocarpa might be possible; a helpful field character at anthesis is the pink anthers of the former; at other times, it is the flexible petioles that allow the leaves of C. fluviatilis to flutter in the wind, unlike those of C. chrysocarpa, which have stiffer petioles.

(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. 564.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Crus-galli Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Tenuifoliae
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. flava, C. florens, C. floridana, C. florifera, 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
Synonyms C. apiomorpha
Name authority Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 469. (1840) Sargent: Rhodora 5: 117. (1903)
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).



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