Flora of North America species comparison

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Crataegus brachyacantha

Crataegus invicta

blueberry haw, blueberry hawthorn, hoghaw, pomette bleue

fulton hawthorn
Habit Shrubs or trees, 60–100(–150) dm. Shrubs, 10–25 dm, branches not weeping except in larger specimens.
Stems

trunk bark dark gray-brown, plated;

thorns on twigs absent or present, recurved, short, to 1.5 cm.

twigs: new growth densely canescent (rapidly becoming dark underneath indumentum), 1-year old purple-brown, stiff;

thorns on twigs numerous, straight, 1-year old dark purple-brown, becoming gray, fine, 3–5 cm.
Leaves

petiole length 15–30% blade;

blade elliptic, 2–3 cm, coriaceous, shiny, lobes 0, margins crenate, venation camptodromous, veins 5 or 6(–8) per side, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial sparingly appressed-hairy, hairy on midvein, sometimes to sinuses.

deciduous or semipersistent, petiole length 5–15% blade, pubescent, glandular;

blade obovate-cuneate, 1.5–2 cm, stiff, subcoriaceous, base cuneate, lobes apical, sinuses shallow, obscurely so in narrower or smaller leaves, margins obscurely crenate or crenate-serrate, teeth glandular, veins 1–3 per side (exiting at or beyond widest part), apex subacute to obtuse, adaxially very glossy, surfaces (late spring to early summer) moderately crisped-hairy.
Inflorescences

15–25-flowered;

branches glabrous;

bracteoles caducous, narrow, small, membranous, margins eglandular, nearly glabrous.

1- or 2(or 3)-flowered;

branches very densely white-pubescent;

bracteoles few, semipersistent, linear, margins glandular.
Flowers

12 mm diam.;

hypanthium glabrous;

sepals triangular, 1.5 mm;

stamens 20, anthers cream to orange, 0.5 mm;

styles 4 or 5.

12–15 mm diam.;

hypanthium ± densely pubescent;

sepals narrowly triangular, margins glandular-serrate, abaxially sparsely pubescent;

anther color not recorded;

styles 3–5.
Pomes

black to bluish black, pruinose, oblate-orbiculate, 8–14 mm diam.;

flesh mealy; fruiting calyx suberect, on small collar, sepal tips often reflexed;

pyrenes 4 or 5, dorsally slightly grooved, sides plane.

color not recorded, ± pyriform, 6–8 mm diam., ripe fruit not recorded.
2n

= 34, 51.

Crataegus brachyacantha

Crataegus invicta
Phenology Flowering Apr; fruiting Sep–Nov. Flowering Mar–early Apr; fruiting Jul–Aug.
Habitat Wet prairies, alluvial flats, well-drained mesic sites, woodland margins Dry sandy soil
Elevation 10–200 m (0–700 ft) 0–100 m (0–300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; GA; LA; MS; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
GA; SC
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Crataegus brachyacantha occurs throughout Louisiana, where it is locally common, and in the adjacent parts of all surrounding states. A disjunct population was known in Georgia but it cannot be found there now. The species is seemingly more shade tolerant than many other hawthorns.

Crataegus brachyacantha is among the taller hawthorns in North America; its petals turn orange with age or on drying. The short, recurved thorns and bitter, oblate-orbiculate, black fruit also are distinctive and help to distinguish C. brachyacantha from C. saligna of Colorado and Utah (ser. Cerrones), which is similar in foliage and flower.

The names blueberry haw and pomette bleue may have a special appropriateness about late August when the waxy covering of the fruit is still thick and the underlying color is a dark purple. At maturity, the flesh is thin and bitter and the skin usually black. The fall foliage, brilliant lustrous orange, bronze, and red, suggests potential ornamental use. Forma leucocarpa Sargent is a white-fruited form, which was collected by E. J. Palmer at Natchitoches, Louisiana, September 1915; it is the only recorded white-fruited hawthorn.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Of conservation concern.

Crataegus invicta is restricted to southeastern Georgia and adjacent South Carolina, where it is scarce.

Crataegus invicta is distinctive and is capable of flowering at under 1.5 m, as in the type collection. Somewhat similar to the C. cirrata form of C. egens, it differs in its relatively shorter petioles, more thorny habit, and blunter and shinier, apparently more coriaceous leaves.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 501. FNA vol. 9, p. 626.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Brevispinae > ser. Brevispinae Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Lacrimatae
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. berberifolia, C. biltmoreana, 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. 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
Name authority Sargent & Engelmann: Bot. Gaz. 7: 128. (1882) Beadle: Biltmore Bot. Stud. 1: 37. (1901)
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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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