Crataegus berberifolia
Crataegus rubribracteolata
barberry hawthorn, barberry-leaf hawthorn
red bracteole 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.
expanding bud-scales bright rufous-red;
twigs: new growth color not recorded, appressed-pubescent, 1-year old mid brown, 2-years old dark red-brown, older gray or dark gray;
thorns on twigs usually numerous, straight to slightly curved, 1-year old dark blackish brown, ± stout, 3.5–5.5 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 length 30–35% blade, densely pubescent in adaxial sulcus, ± sessile-glandular;
blade ± ovate to ovate-trullate, 4–7 cm, ± thin, base cuneate to broadly cuneate, lobes (4 or)5 or 6 per side, sinuses moderately deep, max LII 25–33%, lobe apex acute to acuminate, margins with regular, acute teeth, often subacute mature, veins (5 or)6 or 7 per side, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface glabrous except for sparse hairs along midvein proximally, adaxial ± densely scabrous-pubescent young (variably persistent to maturity).
8–12-flowered;
branches densely pubescent;
bracteoles linear, margins glandular.
(6–)8–12-flowered;
branches ± tomentose;
bracteoles abundant, deep orange-red or fading, narrow, margins densely 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.
12–15 mm diam.;
hypanthium ± tomentose or densely pubescent;
sepals greenish or pale green, triangular, 3–5 mm, margins glandular-denticulate, apex ± red or paler red, abaxially glabrous, adaxially pubescent;
stamens 10, anthers ivory or cream;
styles 3 or 4.
reddish to yellow, suborbicular, 8–10 mm diam., glabrous;
sepals erose or patent;
pyrenes 2 or 3.
3–10 in ± compact infructescences, red young, bright red or orange-scarlet in shade mature, ± ellipsoid to suborbicular, 9–13 mm tall, densely to sometimes sparsely pubescent;
sepals appressed, 3–5 mm;
pyrenes 3 or 4(or 5), sides ± deeply concave.
Crataegus berberifolia
Crataegus rubribracteolata
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 rubribracteolata is restricted to the Cypress Hills and is common in suitable habitats. The record from Montana (Bear’s Paw Mountains, Hill County) is now considered dubious.
Crataegus rubribracteolata can be recognized by its upright habit when grown in full light. Surprisingly, it is most easily confused with C. ursopedensis (see key characters), not with C. sheridana. To C. ursopedensis, C. rubrobracteolata is similar in leaf shape, inflorescence, and indumentum; the mature leaves of C. rubribracteolata average smaller, except in some shade forms; both inflorescence form and indumentum are denser. It lacks the strikingly flabellate young leaves of C. ursopedensis, flowers significantly earlier, has smaller flowers, as well as different colored bracteoles. The two species are easily confused when these characteristics are not available; in fruit, the technical characteristics of pyrene and sepal orientation need careful observation.
(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 |
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