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aubépine dorée, Columbia hawthorn, fireberry hawthorn, goldenberry hawthorn, Piper's hawthorn

Habit Shrubs, 20–35 dm, sometimes clonal. Shrubs or trees, 30–60 dm, branches ± weeping.
Stems

twigs: new growth usually appressed-pubescent, 1-year old usually dull yellowish to greenish brown or gray-brown to light or dark tan;

thorns on twigs variable, straight to slightly recurved, 1-year old shiny, dark mahogany or black, ± slender to ± stout, 3–6 cm.

twigs slightly flexuous, new growth glabrate, 1-year old tawny to reddish brown, 2-years old dark gray;

thorns on twigs ± straight, 2-years old shiny blackish gray, ± fine to ± stout, 2–3 cm.

Leaves

petiole length 50% blade, usually narrowly winged distally, pubescent, glandular young, often persisting;

blade yellow or purplish in very dry spots (fall), ± rhombic to rhombic-ovate, rhombic-obovate, or ovate to broadly elliptic, on extension shoots similar, larger, 2–5(–7.5) cm, thin to chartaceous, base ± cuneate, sometimes rounded to broadly ovate (at early anthesis not strikingly flabellate), lobes 2–4(–6) per side, sinuses moderately deep, lobe apex acute to subacute, margins serrate, teeth glands caducous, numerous, small, veins 3–5(–7) per side, apex acute or subacute, abaxial surface glabrous, sparsely pilose-glabrescent, or villous, veins usually pubescent, adaxial appressed-scabrous, glabrescent or short-appressed-pubescent.

petiole length 15–20% blade, ± pilose young, glandular;

blade dark green mature adaxially, narrowly obovate, 2–3.5 cm, thin, slightly coriaceous, base ± evenly tapered, lobes 0, margins finely glandular-serrate, veins (2 or)3 or 4 per side, apex flat-triangular to rounded or ± truncate, often minutely cuspidate, adaxially shiny mature, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial veins sparsely hairy;

on extension shoots broadly elliptic to suborbiculate, larger, often slightly incised, strongly serrate.

Inflorescences

5–10-flowered, compact;

branches sparsely to densely villous, rarely glabrous;

bracteoles usually hyaline, linear, membranous, margins sessile- or short-stipitate-glandular.

2–6-flowered;

branches glabrate;

bracteoles linear, margins glandular.

Flowers

15–20 mm diam.;

hypanthium usually villous, sometimes glabrous;

sepals triangular, 4 mm, margins glandular-serrate, apex subacute to obtuse, abaxially pubescent;

stamens (5–)10(or 20), anthers cream or ivory, sometimes pink;

styles 3 or 4(or 5).

16 mm diam.;

hypanthium glabrous;

sepals narrowly triangular, 4–5 mm, margins glandular-serrate, adaxially sparsely hirsute;

anthers pale yellow;

styles 2 or 3.

Pomes

scarlet to deep red, only darkened to burgundy if dried and shriveled (except in var. vernonensis), usually suborbicular to broadly ellipsoid or oblong, 8–10(–12) mm diam., pubescent or glabrous;

sepal remnants present, spreading to reflexed, not or rarely obscurely elevated;

pyrenes 3 or 4(or 5).

red, ± ellipsoid, 8–10 mm diam., glabrous;

sepals spreading, 7 mm;

pyrenes 2 or 3.

2n

= 68.

Crataegus chrysocarpa

Crataegus teres

Phenology Flowering Mar; fruiting Aug–Sep.
Habitat Pine woods, sandy fields
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; CT; IA; ID; IL; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; ND; NH; NY; OR; RI; SD; UT; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL
Discussion

Varieties 9 (9 in the flora).

Crataegus chrysocarpa is one of the most wide-ranging North American species of the genus, occurring from inland of the Cascades and Coastal Ranges of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia to the Atlantic from Newfoundland to New England; it is correspondingly variable. Ashe’s type from the Rocky Mountain foothills in northern Colorado is from the south of the range. East of the Rocky Mountains, C. chrysocarpa is the most northerly and cold-adapted species of hawthorn in North America and nearly reaches Hudson Bay in Ontario. Rare northeastern forms are arborescent (to 70 dm).

Variety chrysocarpa is by far the most common form through most of the species range; numerous well-marked to only slightly different forms, many accepted here at varietal level, occur in different parts of the range. The main regional variant is var. piperi, a well-marked intermontane form.

One to two year old twigs of var. chrysocarpa are much darker in the east (reddish tan or darker) than in the west (light tan to gray-brown).

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

Crataegus teres, C. attrita, and C. florens appear to form a natural group and may be difficult to distinguish. They share more or less unlobed, rather narrow, subcoriaceous, bright to deep green leaves with more or less sharply denticulate margins, subglabrous herbage, and inflorescence branches subglabrous to pilose, lacking the dense tomentum characteristic of many members of ser. Lacrimatae. They are not part of the C. alabamensis complex. Crataegus teres, the least common of the three, has perhaps the most individual characteristics, including manifesting a merely slightly flexuous twig, having the smoothest leaf tips, and with C. florens, the most venous leaves (usually 3–4 per side), also subglabrous or pilose inflorescence branches, and 2 or 3 styles, an ensemble of characteristics not unlike what might be found in ser. Crus-galli.

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

Key
1. Stamens 20
→ 2
1. Stamens 5–10
→ 3
2. Anthers cream or ivory.
var. vigintistamina
2. Anthers pink.
var. blanchardii
3. Inflorescence branches lanate; anthers pale pink; fully ripe pomes burgundy.
var. vernonensis
3. Inflorescence branches glabrous or pubescent, sparsely to densely villous, or thin-pilose; anthers cream to ivory, sometimes pink; fully ripe pomes red
→ 4
4. Abaxial leaf surfaces persistently hairy (rough-pubescent or with scattered long hairs)
→ 5
4. Abaxial leaf surfaces glabrous, veins sometimes pilose
→ 6
5. Leaf blades ovate to broadly ovate or broadly elliptic, bases rounded to broadly cuneate, lobe apices subacute, max LII 5–10%, veins 6 or 7 per side; Great Lakes region and eastwards.
var. faxonii
5. Leaf blades rhombic to narrowly rhombic or rhombic-elliptic, bases ± cuneate, lobe apices acute, max LII 15–20%, veins 5 or 6 per side; Pacific Northwest and adjacent Canada.
var. piperi
6. Anthers pink.
var. praecox
6. Anthers cream or ivory
→ 7
7. Inflorescence branches glabrous; leaf surfaces: adaxial glabrous young.
var. phoeniceoides
7. Inflorescence branches sparsely to densely villous or thin-pilose; leaf surfaces: adaxial appressed-short-pubescent or appressed-pubescent young, glabrescent or becoming short scabrous
→ 8
8. Hypanthia densely villous.
var. chrysocarpa
8. Hypanthia glabrous.
var. subrotundifolia
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 597. FNA vol. 9, p. 628.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Rotundifoliae 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. brachyacantha, C. brainerdii, C. brazoria, C. brittonii, C. buckleyi, C. calpodendron, C. castlegarensis, 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. 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. chrysocarpa var. blanchardii, C. chrysocarpa var. chrysocarpa, C. chrysocarpa var. faxonii, C. chrysocarpa var. phoeniceoides, C. chrysocarpa var. piperi, C. chrysocarpa var. praecox, C. chrysocarpa var. subrotundifolia, C. chrysocarpa var. vernonensis, C. chrysocarpa var. vigintistamina
Synonyms C. columbiana var. chrysocarpa, C. rotundifolia var. chrysocarpa C. alabamensis var. teres
Name authority Ashe: Bull. North Carolina Agric. Exp. Sta. 175: 110. (1900) Beadle: Biltmore Bot. Stud. 1: 43. (1901)
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