Flora of North America species comparison

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Crataegus phaenopyrum

Crataegus leonensis

Washington hawthorn, Washington thorn
Habit Trees, 40–100 dm. Trees, 100–120 dm.
Stems

3-year old twigs shiny, deep reddish brown, older dark gray;

thorns on twigs ± straight, 2–5 cm.

trunk bark dark gray to nearly black, thick, ridged;

branches broadly spreading, intricate;

twigs ± flexuous, new growth olive green, glabrous, 1-year old very dark brown, older gray;

thorns on twigs few, straight, 1-year old very dark, older graying, fine, 3.5 cm.
Leaves

petiole slender, sometimes both abaxially and adaxially short rusty-tomentose, eglandular;

blade broadly to narrowly deltate, 3–6 cm, base truncate to rarely cuneate or cordate, sometimes very shallowly so, lobes palmately or pinnately 2(or 3) per side, margins serrulate, veins 6 or 7(or 8) per side (to sinuses), apex acute, surfaces glabrous.

petiole length 40–50% blade, pubescent in sulcus, densely sessile-glandular;

blade narrowly ovate to rhombic-ovate or broadly ovate, sometimes oblong or ± obovate, 2.5–5 cm, ± thin, base cuneate, lobes 0, or 1 or 2 per side, obscure, sinuses shallow, lobe apex obtuse or acute, margins finely to obscurely crenate-serrate, teeth gland-tipped, veins 3 or 4 per side, apex acute, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial glabrate, main veins sparsely pilose.
Inflorescences

15–30-flowered, flowers strong-smelling;

branches glabrous;

bracteole margins stipitate-glandular.

3–7-flowered;

branches glabrate to moderately pilose;

bracteoles caducous, narrowly oblong, margins glandular.
Flowers

10–12 mm diam.;

hypanthium glabrous;

sepals 2 mm;

stamens 20, anthers ivory;

styles 3(or 4).

16–20 mm diam.;

hypanthium glabrous;

sepals narrowly triangular, margins glandular-serrate;

stamens 20, anthers pink to pale purple;

styles 2–5.
Pomes

orange-red to russet, often green-mottled, suborbicular, 9–12 mm diam., glabrous;

sepals prominent, ± elevated, spreading;

pyrenes (2 or)3 or 4(or 5).
2n

= 51, 68.

Crataegus phaenopyrum

Crataegus leonensis
Phenology Flowering Jun; fruiting Sep–Nov. Flowering Apr; fruiting Sep–Oct.
Habitat Woodland edges, gaps, scrub, damp locations Sandy upland woods
Elevation 10–300 m (0–1000 ft) 20–50 m (100–200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; OH; OR; PA; SC; TN; VA; WA; WV; ON
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; GA
Discussion

Crataegus phaenopyrum has a wide native range across the middle latitudes of the United States from Missouri to Maryland and southward but is not particularly abundant. In the northern and western states and Ontario, it is introduced. All alleged specimens for Alabama proved to be wrongly identified (J. B. Phipps 1998).

The flowering season of the Washington thorn is the latest of all North American hawthorns. The species is one of the most widely planted ornamentals in the genus, being elegantly treelike and possessing beautiful, remarkably rust-resistant foliage at all seasons as well as attractive flowers and fruit. Several cultivars are known.

Crataegus cordata (Miller) Aiton 1789 (= Mespilus cordata Miller 1757) was commonly used for C. phaenopyrum until the early 20th century (J. B. Phipps 1999).

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

Most specimens of Crataegus leonensis are from Leon County, Florida, but a few come from southern Georgia.

Crataegus leonensis is most similar to C. mira, of which it may prove to be an extreme form; it has smaller flowers and differently shaped, narrower leaves. An unnamed entity from northern Florida and southeastern Alabama to North Carolina, which could key to C. leonensis, is held to be closer to C. annosa. It differs from C. leonensis by larger leaves (3–5 cm) and fruit (12–15 mm), somewhat different leaf shape (broadly elliptic to rhombic, sharply lobed), always dense inflorescence indumentum, and cream anthers. Crataegus subflavida Murrill may be synonymous but has larger yellow pomes.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 499. FNA vol. 9, p. 615.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Crataegus > ser. Cordatae Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Apricae
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. 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. 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. 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 phaenopyrum, C. youngii
Name authority (Linnaeus f.) Medikus: Gesch. Bot., 84. (1793) E. J. Palmer: J. Arnold Arbor. 13: 422, fig. 1. (1932)
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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