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aubépine de Holmes, Holmes' hawthorn

Habit Shrubs or trees, 40–70(–100) dm, single-trunked. Shrubs, small (on only specimen with indication of stature), branches ± weeping.
Stems

twigs: new growth greenish to reddish, glabrous or pubescent;

thorns on twigs recurved, often slender, 3–6 cm.

twigs: new growth densely white-tomentose, 1-year old dark gray, older gray, ± stout;

thorns on twigs usually numerous, slightly to strongly recurved, 1-year old purple-black, older blackish, slender, 3–5(–7) cm.

Leaves

petiole length 30–35% blade, glabrate to densely hairy, often sparsely glandular;

blade ± narrowly ovate, 6–9 cm, base cuneate or ± rounded, lobe apex acuminate, margins serrate or doubly serrate, teeth 2 mm, adaxial usually densely scabrous-pubescent young.

petiole length 10–20% blade, tomentose, glandular young;

blade dark green mature, obovate to narrowly obovate-rhombic, 1.5–3 cm, stiff and ± coriaceous, base cuneate, lobes 0 or very short and subterminal, sinuses shallow, lobe apex subacute, margins strongly crenate-serrate, veins 2 or 3 per side, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces white-tomentose young, glabrescent.

Inflorescences

branches usually pubescent, rarely glabrous or tomentose.

1–3-flowered;

branches tomentose;

bracteoles oblong-linear, margins glandular.

Flowers

hypanthium usually pubescent;

stamens 5–8(–10), anthers pink to rose-purple, sometimes crimson.

12 mm diam.;

hypanthium densely tomentose;

sepals ± linear, margins glandular-serrate, abaxially tomentose;

anther color not recorded;

styles 4.

Pomes

bright to deep red, ellipsoid to broadly pyriform, 12–14 mm, usually glabrous;

sepals wide-spreading or erose.

orange, suborbicular, 8–10 mm diam., tomentose;

sepals reflexed;

pyrenes 4.

2n

= 34, 51.

Crataegus holmesiana

Crataegus pexa

Phenology Flowering May; fruiting Sep–Oct. Flowering Mar–Apr; fruiting Aug.
Habitat Woodland edges, old pastures, fencerows Dry woodlands
Elevation 10–300 m (0–1000 ft) 20–200 m (100–700 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; NH; NY; OH; PA; RI; VT; WI; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
GA; NC; SC
Discussion

Crataegus holmesiana ranges from Wisconsin and Illinois through the southern Great Lakes region to southern Quebec and Maine, and to Pennsylvania; it is common in much of its range and should be expected in West Virginia.

In its usual form, Crataegus holmesiana is readily distinguished from C. coccinea vars. coccinea and pringlei, though occasional intermediates occur. Crataegus robesoniana Sargent [C. pedicellata var. robesoniana (Sargent) E. J. Palmer] is one and perhaps C. amicta Ashe [C. holmesiana var. amicta (Ashe) E. J. Palmer] is another. Crataegus holmesiana is routinely interpreted as a typical member of ser. Coccineae, thus, a villous inflorescence taxon with serrate sepals. However, the protologue by Ashe (authentic material not located) states that the inflorescences are glabrous and the sepals are nearly entire, causing confusion with C. tenuifolia Britton (ser. Tenuifoliae). Current usage for C. holmesiana became fixed after Ashe erected a var. villosa with serrate sepals and villous inflorescences.

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

Crataegus pexa is widely distributed in North Carolina with a few records from South Carolina and Georgia. The similarities of C. colonica to C. pexa have been noted under that species. Crataegus pexa differs in its often slightly incised and more prominently toothed leaf margins, generally lower plant stature, relatively wider leaf blades, suborbicular fruits, longer and abundant thorns, and strongly flexuous twigs.

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

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 560. FNA vol. 9, p. 627.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Coccineae 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. 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. 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. 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. anomala, C. eamesii, C. elongata, C. holmesiana var. villipes, C. pura, C. sertata, C. tardipes C. munda var. pexa
Name authority Ashe: J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc. 16: 78. (1900) Beadle: Biltmore Bot. Stud. 1: 116. (1902)
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