Flora of North America species comparison

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Crataegus rivularis

Crataegus crocea

mountain river hawthorn, river hawthorn
Habit Shrubs or trees, 30–50 dm. Shrubs or trees, 20–60 dm, branches strongly weeping (moving in slight wind).
Stems

twigs: new growth greenish, sparsely pubescent, early glabrescent, 1–2-years old often red-purple;

bark on younger 2–5 cm thick branches dark gray-brown, sometimes copper-colored;

thorns on twigs straight or ± recurved, 2-years old black or purple-black, glossy, fine, 1.5–4 cm.

twigs: new growth densely appressed-white-hairy, 1-year old gray-brown to purple-brown, older gray, slender;

thorns on twigs absent or numerous, straight, 2-years old purple-brown to gray, ± fine, 1–4 cm.
Leaves

petiole 1–2.5 cm, glabrous;

blade elliptic to narrowly elliptic, 3–8 cm, length 2+ times width, thin, base cuneate, lobes 0 or small apiculi at ends of some vein tips, margins serrate, teeth numerous, usually acute, fine to coarse, venation semicamptodromous, veins 4 or 5 per side, larger often branched proximal to ends, apex acute, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial appressed-strigose young.

petiole length 20–25% blade, densely pubescent, glandular at least young;

blade usually spatulate or narrowly oblong to narrowly oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic, 1–2.5 cm, thin (drooping or fluttering in wind), base cuneate, lobes 0 or obscure, margins entire, sometimes obscurely crenate-serrate distally, gland-dotted young, veins 1–4 per side (narrowly diverging, exiting beyond widest part of leaf), apex subacute, obtuse, or truncate, usually tapered sharply, abaxial surface slightly pubescent, veins conspicuously pubescent, glabrescent, adaxial often densely pubescent young.
Inflorescences

6–12-flowered;

branches glandular-punctate;

bracteoles early caducous, usually present, margins sessile-glandular.

1–3-flowered;

branches densely appressed-white-pubescent;

bracteoles linear, margins glandular, adaxially short-pubescent.
Flowers

14–17 mm diam.;

sepals broadly deltate, 6–8 mm, margins entire, apex narrow, glabrous;

stamens 10, anthers pink, sometimes ivory;

styles 3–5.

16–18 mm diam.;

hypanthium densely white-pubescent;

sepals narrowly triangular, 4 mm, margins glandular, abaxially sparsely pubescent;

petals elliptic or ± circular;

anthers cream;

styles 3.
Pomes

deep red (mid Aug), black or blackish purple mature, suborbicular, 10 mm diam.;

sepals ± erect to strongly outcurved or ± patent, 2–3 mm;

pyrenes 3 or 4, sides eroded.

yellow to copper-orange or reddish orange, suborbicular, 8 mm diam., pubescent to glabrescent;

sepal remnants none or reflexed, sometimes circumscissile;

pyrenes 3.

Crataegus rivularis

Crataegus crocea
Phenology Flowering mid May–early Jun; fruiting Aug–Sep. Flowering late Feb–Apr; fruiting Jul–Aug.
Habitat Intermontane streamsides, ditches, flood plains Sand plains, open scrub
Elevation 1300–2300 m (4300–7500 ft) 0–200 m (0–700 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; ID; NM; NV; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; NC; SC
Discussion

Crataegus rivularis is most abundant in intermontane Colorado and Utah and is one of two hawthorns found in Arizona; it is rare in Nevada. There are reports from northwestern Texas (for example, D. S. Correll and M. C. Johnston 1970); they have not been verified. Crataegus rivularis is one of the more common woody species of mesic, valley bottom intermontane habitats. The species flowers early.

Crataegus rivularis is superficially similar to the more or less sympatric, less common, C. saligna; it has larger leaves with fewer veins, larger flowers with ten stamens, and larger pomes. It differs from C. erythropoda little other than in leaf shape and ripe fruit color.

(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.)
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 510. FNA vol. 9, p. 623.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Douglasia > ser. Cerrones 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. pruinosa, C. pulcherrima, C. punctata, C. purpurella, C. quaesita, C. reverchonii, 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. 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. ×fretalis, C. ×incaedua, C. ×kelloggii, C. ×latebrosa, C. ×lucorum, C. ×rufula, C. ×sicca, C. ×vailiae
Synonyms C. curva, C. dapsilis, C. frugalis, C. incana, C. lassa var. recurva, C. rava, C. recurva, C. villaris
Name authority Nuttall: in J. Torrey and A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 464. (1840) Beadle: Biltmore Bot. Stud. 1: 113. (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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