Flora of North America species comparison

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Crataegus phaenopyrum

Crataegus ×fretalis

Washington hawthorn, Washington thorn
Habit Trees, 40–100 dm. Shrubs or trees, 60–70 dm.
Stems

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

thorns on twigs ± straight, 2–5 cm.

trunk bark grayish to grayish brown, checked;

twigs straight or slightly flexuous, new growth green, tinged red, at end of 1st year bright reddish brown, lustrous, 1–2-years old darker red-brown;

thorns on twigs few, ± straight, 1-year old shiny red-brown, stout, 2–4 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.

deciduous;

petiole slender, length 33–60% blade, glabrous, minutely red-glandular;

blade yellow-green, ovate or oval, 5–8 × 4.5–7 cm, thin but firm, base rounded, lobes 3–5 per side, small, lobe apex acute to acuminate (or larger and sometimes with proximal lobes enlarged and deeply cleft), margins sharply serrate, venation craspedodromous, veins 4–6 per side, apex acute to acuminate, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial short-appressed-pubescent young, glabrescent.
Inflorescences

15–30-flowered, flowers strong-smelling;

branches glabrous;

bracteole margins stipitate-glandular.

5–12-flowered;

branches glabrous;

bracteoles caducous, linear, membranous, margins glandular.
Flowers

10–12 mm diam.;

hypanthium glabrous;

sepals 2 mm;

stamens 20, anthers ivory;

styles 3(or 4).

20 mm diam.;

hypanthium glabrous;

sepals lanceolate, margins coarsely glandular-serrate;

stamens 5, rarely 6–8, anthers red, small;

styles 3.
Pomes

bright red, oblong or obovate, 10–12 × 9–10 mm, glabrous;

flesh slightly succulent;

sepals often lost, ± erect, incurved;

pyrenes 3, dorsally grooved, sides plane.
2n

= 51, 68.

Crataegus phaenopyrum

Crataegus ×fretalis
Phenology Flowering Jun; fruiting Sep–Nov. Flowering May; fruiting Sep–Oct.
Habitat Woodland edges, gaps, scrub, damp locations Brush, open woods, rocky pastures
Elevation 10–300 m (0–1000 ft) 20–100 m (100–300 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
CT; MA; ME
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 ×fretalis is probably a hybrid between C. macrosperma and a species of ser. Coccineae. Crataegus tortilis Ashe from northern Illinois and Wisconsin is similar but has 20 stamens and usually five pyrenes. Crataegus vittata Ashe, from Pennsylvania, is also similar, but has truncate leaf bases. Crataegus knieskerniana Sargent is similar in foliage, flowers, and fruit, but it has pyrenes depressed or pitted on the inner faces and occurred near East Herkimer, New York.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 499. FNA vol. 9, p. 638.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Crataegus > ser. Cordatae Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus
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. 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. ×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) Crataegus ×fretalis Sargent: Rhodora 5: 112. (1903) — as species
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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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