Flora of North America species comparison

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Crataegus douglasii

Crataegus mollis

black hawthorn, Douglas' hawthorn

downy hawthorn, red haw, red hawthorn
Habit Shrubs, 40–80 dm. Shrubs or trees, 40–100 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.

trunk bark fibrous, checked into longitudinal plates, ± exfoliating or rough-corrugated;

compound thorns on trunks frequent in some populations;

twigs: new growth tomentose young, glabrescent, 1-year old tan, older pale gray;

thorns on twigs absent or frequent, rarely plentiful, ± straight or ± recurved, 2-years old blackish brown, graying with age, usually ± stout, 3–6 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 length 40–50% blade, tomentose young, tomentose to glabrate mature, usually eglandular;

blade ± elliptic to ± ovate or suborbiculate, 4–8(–12) cm, thin to chartaceous, base truncate to cuneate, lobes 0 or 2–6 per side, sinuses shallow to deep, lobe apex acute to obtuse, margins strongly serrate, teeth eglandular, veins 4–7(–9) per side, apex acute to obtuse, abaxial surface pubescent young, densely so on veins, adaxial densely scabrous-pubescent young, densely scabrous-pubescent or glabrous mature.
Inflorescences

10–25-flowered;

branches glabrous;

bracteole margins stipitate- or sessile-glandular.

5–15-flowered;

branches tomentose;

bracteoles caducous, greenish, linear-lanceolate or narrowly oblong, thin, larger ones subherbaceous, narrowly oblong, membranous to subherbaceous, margins short-stipitate or sessile-glandular, multi-veined, abaxially pubescent.
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.

20–25 mm diam.;

hypanthium densely tomentose;

sepals narrowly triangular, 6 mm, margins glandular-serrate to glandular-laciniate, abaxially pubescent;

petals white, sometimes pink at late anthesis;

stamens (10 or)20, anthers ivory-cream;

styles (3–)5.
Infructescences

fruiting pedicels pubescent.
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.

bright red, sometimes orange-red or deep red, rarely yellow, suborbicular, often tapered at base, 8–14 mm diam., ± tomentose;

sepals obsolescent or erect-patent;

pyrenes (3–)5.
2n

= 68.

Crataegus douglasii

Crataegus mollis
Phenology Flowering May–Jun; fruiting Sep–Oct.
Habitat Brush, old fields, fencerows, woodland edges
Elevation 50–1600 m (200–5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; CA; ID; MI; MN; MT; OR; WA; WI; AB; BC; ON; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MI; MN; MO; MS; ND; NE; OH; OK; SD; TN; TX; WI; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Varieties 5 (5 in the flora).

Crataegus mollis is common and widespread west of the Appalachians from eastern South Dakota to extreme southwestern Ontario, to southern Texas and central Alabama. It is rare in the southeastern part of its range. Sporadic records to the east of this are misidentifications or recent introductions.

Crataegus mollis has 20, or, in one unusual form, 10, cream anthers and is distinguished from the superficially similar 10-stamen C. submollis by lack of pedicel glandularity and stamen number and from pink-anthered taxa of restricted range such as C. texana varieties by anther color. Whether C. mollis is truly distinct from the C. texana complex will require biosystematic work. Crataegus mollis is less glandular than the allopatric C. submollis, from which it differs in further ways (see 52. C. submollis). Crataegus canadensis, from Quebec, but with glandular petioles, could key out here and is treated as a form of C. submollis.

Crataegus mollis is variable in leaf shape and size; other characters are more constant. Northern plants are more floriferous, and their trunk bark is more exfoliating than southern ones, which have a more rough-corrugated bark. The leaves are usually shortest and proportionately widest in Texas. Larger and proportionately narrower leaves are found northeastward. The most superficially distinct form is var. incisifolia, with acute lobes and deep sinuses. The lobing varies from very small to absent in var. dumetosa and C. invisa Sargent. Crataegus meridionalis from Alabama and Mississippi is somewhat similar to var. dumetosa but has longer, elliptic to narrowly ovate, sharply serrate, rather coriaceous leaves.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Thorns on twigs few to plentiful; twigs ± strongly flexuous; leaf blades elliptic to narrowly ovate.
var. meridionalis
1. Thorns on twigs absent or few; twigs ± straight; leaf blades ± ovate or suborbiculate to broadly elliptic
→ 2
2. Leaf blades: lobes 4–6 per side, sinuses deep (LII 20–40%).
var. incisifolia
2. Leaf blades: lobes 0 or obscure, or 2–4 per side, sinuses ± shallow (LII 0–20%)
→ 3
3. Pomes yellow.
var. viburnifolia
3. Pomes red
→ 4
4. Leaf blades: lobes 2–4 per side, sinuses shallow (LII 8–20%).
var. mollis
4. Leaf blades: lobes 0 or obscure, sinuses shallow (LII 0–8%).
var. dumetosa
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 512. FNA vol. 9, p. 553.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Douglasia > ser. Douglasianae Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Molles
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. levis, C. lumaria, C. macracantha, C. macrosperma, C. magniflora, C. margarettae, C. marshallii, C. mendosa, C. meridiana, C. mira, 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
Subordinate taxa
C. mollis var. dumetosa, C. mollis var. incisifolia, C. mollis var. meridionalis, C. mollis var. mollis, C. mollis var. viburnifolia
Synonyms C. columbiana, C. tennowana C. coccinea var. mollis
Name authority Lindley: Edwards's Bot. Reg. 21: plate 1810. (1835) (Torrey & A. Gray) Scheele: Linnaea 21: 569. (1848)
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).



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