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 viridis

barberry hawthorn, barberry-leaf hawthorn

green hawthorn
Habit Shrubs or trees, 60 dm. Shrubs or trees, 80–150 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.

mature trunk bark checked dark gray or black, rough or whitish to light gray, thin-exfoliating;

twigs: new growth often reddish, glabrous, 1-year old gray to red-brown, older gray, smooth;

thorns on twigs few to abundant, 2-years old blackish, 3–4 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 0.7–2.5 cm, length 33–40% blade, adaxially glabrous or pubescent, eglandular;

blade narrowly elliptic to suborbiculate, narrowly rhombic to oblong and ovate, oblanceolate, 2–6(–7) cm, thin (except in vars. glabriuscula and nitens), base cuneate to rounded, lobes 0 or 1–3 per side, margins serrate (teeth 0–2 mm) to obscurely crenate-serrate in distal 1/2 only, venation craspedodromous, sometimes semicamptodromous, veins 3–5(–7) per side, apex ± acute to obtuse, surfaces usually glabrous, except with tufts of hair in abaxial vein axils.
Inflorescences

8–12-flowered;

branches densely pubescent;

bracteoles linear, margins glandular.

(3–)10(–50)-flowered;

branches usually glabrous, sometimes densely hairy young;

bracteoles ± eglandular, except somewhat glandular in var. glabriuscula.
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.

(10–)13–15(–18) mm diam.;

hypanthium usually glabrous (hairy in C. viridis var. velutina);

sepal margins ± entire;

anthers cream or ivory.
Pomes

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

sepals erose or patent;

pyrenes 2 or 3.

orange to deep red, rarely yellow, not pruinose, orbicular, 5–8 mm diam.;

sepals recurved.
2n

= 34, 51.

Crataegus berberifolia

Crataegus viridis
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; KS; LA; MO; MS; NC; SC; TN
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; OK; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV
[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.)

Varieties 6 (6 in the flora).

Crataegus viridis ranges from southeastern Texas along the coastal plain and piedmont to central Florida and to tidewater Maryland; inland, it extends to near St. Louis, Missouri, and the Tennessee-Kentucky border. The species favors streamsides and moist, fertile, alluvial woodlands or agricultural derivatives of these.

Crataegus viridis is variable in leaf shape and size. The varieties intergrade somewhat and most are sympatric; they are valuable for recognizing variation. Varieties glabriuscula and velutina are regional.

Beyond the recognized varieties, sporadic forms exist with yellow or gold fruit or anthocyanic anthers. Crataegus arborescens Elliott from northern Florida is similar to C. viridis but has rose-purple anthers and slightly hairy inflorescence branches. Other local forms with red or pink anthers, such as C. antimina Sargent, C. enucleata Sargent, and C. pechiana Sargent, are found. Selected forms with bright, rather deep green foliage, and heavy crops of red fruit, for example, cultivar Winter King, are ornamentals.

Rare putative interserial hybrids exist with ser. Crus-galli (for example, Crataegus ×permixta E. J. Palmer), ser. Molles (for example, C. ×anamesa Sargent, C. ×poliophylla Sargent, C. ×stenosepala Sargent), and ser. Punctatae (J. B. Phipps 2005).

(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
1. Young leaf blades, inflorescence branches, and hypanthia densely hairy.
var. velutina
1. Young leaf blades, inflorescence branches, and hypanthia glabrous except for tufts of hair in vein axils of abaxial leaf surfaces
→ 2
2. Leaf blades broadly lanceolate to narrowly rhombic, lobes distinct, 2 or 3 per side, sinuses shallow to moderately deep, max LII 15–40%, veins 4 or 5 per side.
var. viridis
2. Leaf blades ± lanceolate, narrowly to broadly elliptic or rhombic-elliptic to narrowly obovate or oblong to ovate or ± orbiculate, lobes mostly obscure or short, 0 or 1(–3) per side, max LII 5(–20)%, veins 3–7 per side
→ 3
3. Leaf blades broadly elliptic to ovate, 3–4 cm, lobes 0 or 1–3 per side, sinuses shallow to deep, coriaceous; 1-year old twigs reddish brown.
var. nitens
3. Leaf blades ± lanceolate, narrowly to broadly elliptic or rhombic-elliptic, narrowly obovate or oblong to oblong-ovate, or ± orbiculate, 2–6.3 cm, lobes 0, or 1 or 2 per side and very short or rarely 1 per side and longer, but then not on most leaves, sinuses shallow, thin to chartaceous; 1-year old twigs gray, dark gray, or tan to reddish brown
→ 4
4. Leaf blades ± lanceolate, narrowly elliptic to narrowly obovate or oblong, veins 3–7 per side.
var. lanceolata
4. Leaf blades oblong, broadly elliptic, rhombic-elliptic or oblong-ovate to ± orbiculate, veins 3–5 per side
→ 5
5. Leaf blades broadly elliptic to oblong-ovate, sometimes suborbiculate, 2.5–6.3 cm, marginal teeth 1 mm, veins 4 or 5 per side.
var. ovata
5. Leaf blades ± orbiculate to narrowly ovate, oblong, rhombic-elliptic, or narrowly obovate, 2–4 cm, marginal teeth 1.5–2 mm, veins 3(or 4) per side.
var. glabriuscula
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 540. FNA vol. 9, p. 532.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Crus-galli Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Virides
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. 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. 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
C. viridis var. glabriuscula, C. viridis var. lanceolata, C. viridis var. nitens, C. viridis var. ovata, C. viridis var. velutina, C. viridis var. viridis
Name authority Torrey & A. Gray: Fl. N. Amer. 1: 469. (1840) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 476. (1753)
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