The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

black hawthorn, Douglas' hawthorn

smooth hawthorn

Habit Shrubs, 40–80 dm. Shrubs, 30–50 dm.
Stems

1-year old twigs deep tan to dark mahogany, ± shiny young, older gray to dark gray, often showing brown or alternatively tan-brown eastward;

thorns on twigs straight or slightly recurved, deep brown young, (1.5–)2–3.5 cm.

twigs: new growth reddish, glabrous, 1-year old brown, older dark to paler gray;

thorns on twigs straight to recurved, 2-years old shiny dark brown, ± slender, 3–5 cm.

Leaves

petiole 0.7–1.5 cm, pubescent young, slightly glandular;

blade usually elliptic to broadly elliptic or subrhombic (elliptic-obovate when lobes very small), 4–7 cm, lobes 2–4 per side, sinuses shallow, LII 10–20%, lobe apex subobtuse to acute, margins coarsely, sharply serrate, teeth small, gland-tipped young, venation craspedodromous, veins 4 or 5 per side, apex acute to obtuse, abaxial surface usually glabrous except on veins, adaxial densely short-appressed-pubescent.

petiole 1.5–3 cm, pubescence not recorded, eglandular or sparsely glandular;

blade ovate, 3–6 cm, very thin, base rounded or broadly cuneate, lobes 3 or 4(or 5) per side, sinuses deep, angled, lobe apex at least proximal, not aligned, usually acuminate, margins serrate, proximal teeth gland-tipped, veins 4 or 5 per side, apex acute, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial short-pubescent young, soon glabrescent.

Inflorescences

10–25-flowered;

branches glabrous;

bracteole margins stipitate- or sessile-glandular.

5–8-flowered;

branches glabrous;

bracteoles absent or few, margins glandular.

Flowers

10–15 mm diam.;

hypanthium glabrous;

sepals broadly triangular, 3–4 mm, margins sparsely glandular, adaxially glabrous;

stamens 10, anthers pink;

styles 3 or 4.

15–17 mm diam.;

hypanthium glabrous;

sepals basally broadly triangular (lamina nearly linear), 6 mm, margins entire, abaxially glabrous;

stamens 10, anthers rose-red;

styles 4.

Pomes

vinous and usually waxy glaucous young, dull black mature, usually ellipsoid, 6–8 mm diam., glabrous;

sepal remnants reflexed, apex obtuse;

pyrenes 3 or 4, sides excavated, sometimes only shallowly.

red, ± pyriform, 8–10 mm diam., flesh hard;

sepals spreading;

pyrenes 4, dorsally grooved.

2n

= 68.

Crataegus douglasii

Crataegus levis

Phenology Flowering May–Jun; fruiting Sep–Oct. Flowering Apr–May; fruiting Sep–Oct.
Habitat Brush, old fields, fencerows, woodland edges Open woods, brush
Elevation 50–1600 m (200–5200 ft) 50–300 m (200–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; ID; MI; MN; MT; OR; WA; WI; AB; BC; ON; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
MA; NC; NY; OH; PA
Discussion

Crataegus douglasii occurs from southern and western British Columbia to the panhandle of Alaska and ranges to northern California and the Rocky Mountains of Idaho, Montana, and southwestern Alberta. Disjunct populations occur farther east in the Cypress Hills (Alberta and Saskatchewan), the Montana montane islands, and around the northern Great Lakes. In western North America, C. douglasii is found mainly near water in drier areas; in more mesic regions, it may occur in open woodlands. In the Great Lakes area, it mainly occurs in old pastures and on fencerows.

Crataegus douglasii is distinguished from C. gaylussacia by having ten stamens and is rather variable in leaf shape and size. The species is distinguished from C. okennonii by the latter usually being taller and typically more erect as well as having a usually straight, single trunk, shorter thorns, ampulliform-orbicular fruit, and often purplish crimson fall foliage. Crataegus castlegarensis is the most similar species, and beyond possessing relatively few to many multiple thorns, it is distinguished from C. douglasii by its hairy hypanthia, pedicels, and, often, fruit, which is orbicular, plump, crimson to purple in late August, ripening to deep purple (sometimes black) at a time when sympatric C. douglasii is fully black.

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

Crataegus levis ranges from the southern Great Lakes area to southern New England, to Ohio, Pennsylvania, and in mountains to North Carolina.

Crataegus levis is often confused with the C. compta form of C. populnea; that taxon usually has slightly larger, more coriaceous leaves, with less acute lobes than C. levis. Crataegus levis is possibly a hybrid of C. macrosperma × C. pruinosa.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 512. FNA vol. 9, p. 571.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Douglasia > ser. Douglasianae Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Populneae
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. 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. 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. 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
Synonyms C. columbiana, C. tennowana C. laetans, C. milleri
Name authority Lindley: Edwards's Bot. Reg. 21: plate 1810. (1835) Sargent: Rhodora 7: 198. (1905)
Web links