Flora of North America species comparison

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Crataegus pruinosa

Crataegus florens

frosted hawthorn, waxyfruit hawthorn
Habit Shrubs or trees, dense, often suberect, 20–70 dm. Shrubs or trees, 30–60 dm, branches ± weeping.
Stems

compound thorns on trunks present;

twigs: new growth reddish brown, 1-year old dull purple-brown, 2-years old dull gray, older paler;

thorns on twigs straight to slightly recurved, 2-years old deep purple to shiny black, usually ± fine, 3–5 cm.

twigs: new growth sparsely to densely spreading-pubescent, 1-year old tawny to reddish brown, 2-years old dark gray;

thorns on twigs usually numerous, straight to slightly decurved, 2-years old shiny blackish gray, ± fine to ± stout, 2–4.5 cm.
Leaves

petiole length 50–66% blade, sparsely glandular;

blade trullate to ovate, ovate-oblong, or broadly rhombic, rarely ± deltate, 2–6(–7) cm, subcoriaceous, base broadly cuneate to subtruncate to weakly subcordate, lobes (1–)3 or 4 per side, sinuses shallow to deeper, lobe apex acute, sometimes ± obtuse, margins serrate, veins 5 or 6 per side (except smaller leaves), apex acute, surfaces glabrous (except var. virella).

petiole length 25–33% blade, ± pilose young, glandular;

blade dark green mature adaxially, narrowly obovate to obovate, 2–4.5 cm, thin, slightly coriaceous, base abruptly tapered, lobes 0, or 1 or 2 per side distally, obscure, lobe apex obtuse to subacute, margins ± coarsely glandular-serrate, veins (1 or)2–4 per side, apex often ± cuspidate, adaxially shiny mature, surfaces glabrous, veins sparsely pubescent;

on extension shoots broadly elliptic to ± orbiculate, larger, often slightly incised, strongly serrate.
Inflorescences

5–10-flowered;

branches glabrous, sometimes sparsely villous;

bracteoles caducous, usually few, margins short-stipitate-glandular.

3–6-flowered;

branches sparsely to moderately pilose;

bracteoles caducous, linear, margins glandular.
Flowers

15–25 mm diam.;

sepals narrowly triangular, 5–6 mm, margins usually entire or subentire, rarely glandular-serrate, abaxially glabrous;

stamens (10 or)20, anthers pale pink to bright rose or dull purple, sometimes cream, 0.6–0.8 mm;

styles 3–5.

15–18(–25) mm diam.;

hypanthium sparsely pubescent;

sepals narrowly triangular, 4–5 mm, margins glandular-serrate, adaxially sparsely hirsute;

anthers pale yellow;

styles 3(–5).
Pomes

greenish with pink or mauve areas, sometimes bright crimson or scarlet, often rather angular, 10–20 mm diam., highly pruinose, not punctate;

flesh hard;

sepals on collar, spreading;

pyrenes 3–5.

orange-red to red, suborbicular, 8–15 mm diam., glabrous;

sepals spreading, 7 mm;

pyrenes 3(–5).

Crataegus pruinosa

Crataegus florens
Phenology Flowering Mar–Apr; fruiting Aug–Sep.
Habitat Brush on sand plains
Elevation 0–200 m (0–700 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; CT; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; MA; ME; MI; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; PA; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC
Discussion

Varieties 6 (6 in the flora).

Crataegus pruinosa extends from Arkansas to Wisconsin, through the southern Great Lakes to southern New England, and, in the south, mainly in the Appalachians to northern Georgia.

In the north of its range, Crataegus pruinosa is mainly a shrub of open successional habitats but in the south may commonly be a taller tree of open or thin woodlands.

Many hawthorns have a little waxy bloom on their pomes; it is particularly prominent on Crataegus pruinosa and C. cognata compared to others. Some authors include in C. pruinosa their white-anthered counterparts, here assigned to C. cognata. Whereas C. pruinosa characteristically has entire or subentire sepal margins, some forms in the southwest of the range of the species (for example, C. calliantha Sargent, C. seducta Sargent) may have glandular-serrate sepal margins. They may represent introgression with C. coccinioides. The varieties of C. pruinosa are weakly differentiated from each other, most of them on leaf shape and size characters. The more widespread varieties constitute a range of morphotypes held together by common traits. Crataegus gaudens Sargent is a strikingly distinct form from Pennsylvania that has more or less elliptic leaves with lobes absent; it is clearly related to C. pruinosa. Note that 159. Crataegus ×coleae, a Michigan endemic, will key out here if its laterally scarred pyrenes are missed.

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

Crataegus florens occurs mainly from central Mississippi to the Carolinas and extreme northern Florida; it is common in central Alabama and is disjunct in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. The species may occur in more mesic habitats than other members of ser. Lacrimatae.

The type form of Crataegus florens has the smallest, least strongly serrate leaves, veins 2 or 3 per side, and largest flowers, but the circumscription is here expanded to include forms of smaller flower dimensions and with larger, more strongly serrate leaves, including those with 3 or 4 veins per side. As such, C. florens is a fairly common and striking plant with its glossy, deep green leaves, thus superficially resembling members of ser. Crus-galli except for the strongly flexuous twigs. Except for its type form, which is uncommon, it flowers before most other sympatric members of ser. Lacrimatae. Differences from C. attrita, to which it is most similar, and C. teres are given in the key and discussed under those species.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Stamens 10.
var. dissona
1. Stamens 20
→ 2
2. Leaf surfaces sparsely short-hairy adaxially young, usually glabrescent; inflorescence branches sometimes sparsely villous.
var. virella
2. Leaf surfaces glabrous adaxially young, sometimes sparsely appressed-hairy along veins; inflorescence branches glabrous
→ 3
3. Leaf blades 5–7 cm, ovate to ovate-deltate, lobes 0 or 1–4 per side, obscure, lobe apices ± obtuse, bases broadly cuneate to subtruncate; anthers cream.
var. magnifolia
3. Leaf blades 2–7 cm, ovate or ovate-oblong to ± deltate or broadly rhombic, lobes 2–4 per side, distinct, lobe apices acute, bases broadly cuneate to subtruncate or truncate to weakly subcordate; anthers pale pink
→ 4
4. Leaf blades 3–7 cm, broadly ovate to deltate, length/width = 1–1.2, bases very broadly cuneate or truncate to weakly subcordate.
var. rugosa
4. Leaf blades 2–6 cm, broadly rhombic, ovate, or ovate-oblong to narrowly deltate, length/width = 1.5, bases broadly cuneate to subtruncate
→ 5
5. Leaf blades ovate or ovate-oblong to narrowly deltate, 4–6 cm, bases broadly cuneate to subtruncate.
var. pruinosa
5. Leaf blades broadly rhombic, 2–4 cm, bases broadly cuneate.
var. parvula
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 574. FNA vol. 9, p. 628.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Pruinosae 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. 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. 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. 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. ×fretalis, C. ×incaedua, C. ×kelloggii, C. ×latebrosa, C. ×lucorum, C. ×rufula, C. ×sicca, C. ×vailiae
Subordinate taxa
C. pruinosa var. dissona, C. pruinosa var. magnifolia, C. pruinosa var. parvula, C. pruinosa var. pruinosa, C. pruinosa var. rugosa, C. pruinosa var. virella
Synonyms Mespilus pruinosa C. alabamensis var. florens
Name authority (H. L. Wendland) K. Koch: Hort. Dendrol., 168. (1853) Beadle: Biltmore Bot. Stud. 1: 94. (1902)
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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