Flora of North America species comparison

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.)

Crataegus crocea ranges from southwestern Alabama to central Florida into North Carolina; it is particularly abundant and locally common in Alachua and Marion counties, Florida.

A wide view is taken of Crataegus crocea. The typical form, which represents one pole of variation, has narrowly elliptic leaves perfectly smooth in outline, acute at the apices, the distal margins sometimes finely denticulate and larger leaves slightly incised distally. It is the most distinctive form of the species and is locally common at least in northern Florida. Other forms with similar leaves may be referred to C. frugalis and, if with larger leaves at maturity sometimes slightly incised distally, to C. recurva. Crataegus curva is a form that is somewhat similar to the type but is wider and shorter and has shorter petioles. Often, leaves of C. crocea are wider than the type form and somewhat spatulate; these represent C. villaris and C. incana, the latter with particularly dense tomentum when young. All the foregoing forms intergrade. Forms such as C. adusta Beadle, with more or less spatulate leaves often with strongly crenulate to obscurely lobed leaf apices, are intermediate with C. condigna. They are larger in all their parts than typical C. crocea.

In spite of its variability, there should usually be no difficulty separating Crataegus crocea either from C. munda or from the small-leaved C. condigna, both subser. Tenues, both of which have obviously toothed leaf margins, nor from C. lacrimata with its glabrous inflorescences and more or less eglandular bracteoles. Larger-leaved forms of C. crocea, with spatulate-cuneate blades obscurely crenate-serrate distally, may resemble the C. illudens form of C. lassa (subser. Robustae) from Selma, Alabama; they retain the smaller fruit of C. crocea.

A related, unnamed form known from northern Florida has particularly long petioles, narrowly rhombic-obovate leaf blades (that is, with the lateral vertices nearer the distal end), and more or less entire margins.

Crataegus crocea can form an attractive, delicate shrub, which should be very suitable for xeriscaping.

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