Flora of North America species comparison

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Crataegus flabellata

Crataegus iracunda

aubépine flabelliforme, fan-leaf hawthorn

forest hawthorn, passionate hawthorn, stolonbearing hawthorn
Habit Shrubs or trees, 40–50 dm. Shrubs or trees, 30–80 dm.
Stems

twigs: new growth reddish at first, usually sparsely pubescent, 1-year old deep chestnut brown, older dull gray;

thorns on twigs 1-year old shiny, dark brown, stout to slender, 4–6 cm.

twigs: new growth greenish, glabrous, 1-year old deep reddish brown, 2-years old grayer;

thorns on twigs 2-years old blackish or dark gray, shiny, slender, 2.5–4 cm.
Leaves

petiole 1–2 mm wide, length 40–50% blade, glandular;

blade glossy, dark green, broadly elliptic to ovate, 4–7 cm, base cuneate to slightly rounded, lobes 4 or 5 per side, sinuses deep, lobe apex acuminate, margins sharply serrate, teeth gland-tipped, veins 5 or 6 per side, apex acute, abaxial surface glabrous except along veins, adaxial densely appressed-scabrous young, glabrescent.

petiole length 40–50% blade, eglandular;

blade ovate to ovate-deltate, 2–4(–5) cm, 1.2–1.4 times as long as wide, 40–60% mature size at anthesis, base broadly rounded to subtruncate or subcordate, lobes 4 per side, sinuses moderately shallow, lobe apex ca. 90 at tip, often less, margins serrate, teeth regular, 0.5–1 mm, with minute, caducous gland-tipped, veins 3 or 4(or 5) per side, apex acute, abaxial surface glabrous except along veins, adaxial finely appressed-pubescent young.
Inflorescences

5–10-flowered;

branches villous;

bracteole frequency not recorded, linear.

4–10-flowered;

branches glabrous;

bracteoles few, ± linear.
Flowers

13–17 mm diam.;

hypanthium glabrous or villous at base;

sepals 4–5 mm, margins entire, glandular to glandular-serrate, rarely nearly eglandular, apex acute, abaxial pubescence not recorded;

stamens 5–10 or 20, anthers usually pink;

styles 3–5.

12–15 mm diam.;

hypanthium glabrous;

sepals 4–5 mm, margins ± entire or slightly glandular-serrate, abaxially glabrous;

stamens 10, anthers pink to purple;

styles 3–5.
Pomes

crimson, ± ellipsoid, 8–10 mm diam., sometimes ± pruinose;

sepals spreading or usually erose, not or obscurely elevated;

pyrenes 3–5, dorsally deeply grooved.

orange to red, or blotched green, suborbicular, 8–10 mm diam.;

sepals spreading;

pyrenes 3–5, dorsally grooved.
2n

= 51.

Crataegus flabellata

Crataegus iracunda
Phenology Flowering May–Jun; fruiting Sep–Oct. Flowering Apr; fruiting Sep–Oct.
Habitat Brush, successional fields, fencelines, woodland edges, open woodlands Open woodlands, brush, fencerows, cutovers
Elevation 10–200 m (0–700 ft) 20–300 m (100–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; MA; ME; NH; NY; VT; NB; NS; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; VA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Crataegus flabellata occurs along the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario, on both sides of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence, to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and to Massachusetts. Reports for Newfoundland have not been substantiated.

Crataegus flabellata is distinctive with its leaf blades glossy dark green, ovate to broadly elliptic, cuneate at the base, and with deep acuminate lobes. Specimens with less glandularity or serration of the sepal margins may resemble C. fluviatilis. In spite of the obvious differences in morphology and range, C. flabellata and C. macrosperma often have been combined by floristicians. From C. chrysocarpa, C. flabellata is distinguished by its shinier, ellipsoid, glabrous fruit, by the usually deeper, acuminate lobes of its glossy, dark green leaves, and by longer, slightly more acute sepals. Typically, the inflorescences and hypanthia of eastern C. chrysocarpa are densely hairy, practically tomentose, unlike C. flabellata with its more sparsely hairy pedicels and glabrous distal hypanthia. It is conceivable that, due to morphological intermediacy and the sympatry of all three species within the range of C. flabellata, this species represents the result of ancient hybridization between C. chrysocarpa and C. macrosperma.

Crataegus flabellata is usually divided into two varieties: var. flabellata (10 stamens) and var. grayana (20 stamens), the latter being particularly common in southern Quebec. There appears to be little, if any, other constant differentiating feature. Crataegus crudelis, also from Quebec, is a form recognized by long thorns (to 10 cm).

The name Crataegus densiflora Sargent, which pertains to C. flabellata, is illegitimate.

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

Crataegus iracunda ranges from Louisiana to South Carolina and Georgia, and to Virginia, but only at low altitudes. Nearly all records of C. iracunda north of the listed distribution are referable to C. macrosperma or to various species in ser. Populneae.

The distinguishing features of Crataegus iracunda are most evident when it is in flower. The species can be construed as a smaller, more southern, allopatric relative of C. macrosperma distinguished by smaller leaves (particularly at anthesis), more slender thorns, and harder, drier pomes. Its distribution is almost wholly to the south of or in Appalachia, at lower elevations than C. macrosperma. The nearest records of C. macrosperma to the Louisiana populations of C. iracunda are from the Arkansas Ozarks.

Crataegus iracunda has been confused with C. gattingeri (ser. Pruinosae) but is readily distinguished in flower by adaxial leaf pubescence, stamen number, and by lacking the usually attenuate terminal leaf lobes of the latter. However, in fruit, unless the filament bases can be counted, one is left with the less reliable feature of the terminal lobe shape. Confusion with the larger-leaved C. populnea (ser. Populneae) is perhaps possible, but the two species are essentially allopatric and their leaves differ markedly in size and texture.

Earlier attempts to segregate varieties based on leaf size are not taken up here but may have merit as the relatively numerous Louisiana (Crataegus drymophila) form has much smaller leaves than North Carolina specimens.

Variety brumalis (Ashe) Kruschke (Crataegus brumalis Ashe) with syntype material from near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a different entity. Compared to C. iracunda, it has larger and differently shaped (often more or less truncate-based) leaves, proportionately larger at anthesis, and adaxially subglabrous, conspicuously glandular petioles, and larger flowers. This taxon (as a variety of C. iracunda) is primarily responsible for the northwards extension of the range of the latter species. In fact, north of the Mason-Dixon line, most of the specimens attributed to C. brumalis seen by the author appear to be forms of C. macrosperma.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 567. FNA vol. 9, p. 563.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Tenuifoliae Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Tenuifoliae
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. douglasii, C. egens, C. egregia, C. enderbyensis, C. erythropoda, C. exilis, C. eximia, C. extraria, C. fecunda, 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. 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
Synonyms Mespilus flabellata, C. crudelis, C. flabellata var. densiflora, C. flabellata var. grayana, C. grayana C. drymophila, C. iracunda var. silvicola
Name authority (Bosc ex Spach) K. Koch: Verh. Vereins Beförd. Gartenbaues Königl. Preuss. Staaten, ser. 2, 1: 240. (1853) Beadle: Biltmore Bot. Stud. 1: 124. (1902)
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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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