Crataegus phaenopyrum |
Crataegus mendosa |
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Washington hawthorn, Washington thorn |
albertville hawthorn |
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Habit | Trees, 40–100 dm. | Shrubs or trees, 30–60 dm. |
Stems | 3-year old twigs shiny, deep reddish brown, older dark gray; thorns on twigs ± straight, 2–5 cm. |
trunk bark not recorded; twigs: new growth reddish green, 1-year old shiny reddish or purplish brown, older dark or dull gray; thorns on twigs absent or few to numerous, straight or slightly recurved, 1-year old reddish black, 2-years old blackish, fine, 2–5 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 30–50% blade, sparsely glandular; blade adaxially dark green, broadly oblong to elliptic or narrowly ovate, 4–7 cm, base cuneate, lobes 0 or 1–3, obscure, max LII 10%, margins crenate or crenate-serrate, veins 8 or 9 per side (fewer on smaller leaves), apex subacute (obtuse on some larger leaves), abaxial midvein sparsely hairy young. |
Inflorescences | 15–30-flowered, flowers strong-smelling; branches glabrous; bracteole margins stipitate-glandular. |
4–7-flowered; branches glabrous; bracteoles caducous, dense, narrow, semiherbaceous (and green) to membranous, margins glandular. |
Flowers | 10–12 mm diam.; hypanthium glabrous; sepals 2 mm; stamens 20, anthers ivory; styles 3(or 4). |
14–17 mm diam.; sepals triangular, much shorter than petals, margins glandular-denticulate; anthers pink or pink-purple; styles 3–5. |
Pomes | yellow-green with pink or salmon blush, or red, suborbicular to broadly ellipsoid, 8–10 mm diam.; sepals reflexed; pyrenes 3–5. |
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2n | = 51, 68. |
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Crataegus phaenopyrum |
Crataegus mendosa |
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Phenology | Flowering Jun; fruiting Sep–Nov. | Flowering Mar–Apr; fruiting Sep–Nov. |
Habitat | Woodland edges, gaps, scrub, damp locations | Woodland edges, cut-over woodlands, brush |
Elevation | 10–300 m (0–1000 ft) | 20–200 m (100–700 ft) |
Distribution |
AR; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KY; LA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; OH; OR; PA; SC; TN; VA; WA; WV; ON
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AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; SC; TX |
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.) |
Crataegus mendosa is scattered from southeastern Texas to western Georgia and northern Florida with a disjunct record in South Carolina. The species is one of the more distinctive members of the series, although it may be approached in form by C. gilva, which has an acuminate leaf apex, much sharper lobes (when present), and marginal teeth. The extension-shoot leaves of C. mendosa are ovate to broadly ovate, usually quite wide, with 3–4 subacute to acute lobes, which can be confusing if only few typical short-shoot leaves are present. Plants from Sardis, Alabama, with similarities to Crataegus mendosa, C. opima, and C. pulcherrima, may key out here; they have leaf blades to 8 cm with shallow (LII 10–15%) sinuses and blunt to subacute lobe apices. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 9, p. 499. | FNA vol. 9, p. 582. |
Parent taxa | Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Crataegus > ser. Cordatae | Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Pulcherrimae |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Mespilus phaenopyrum, C. youngii | |
Name authority | (Linnaeus f.) Medikus: Gesch. Bot., 84. (1793) | Beadle: Biltmore Bot. Stud. 1: 65. (1902) |
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