Flora of North America species comparison

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Crataegus rivularis

Crataegus pulcherrima

mountain river hawthorn, river hawthorn

beautiful hawthorn
Habit Shrubs or trees, 30–50 dm. Shrubs, 20–40 dm.
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: young growth green or reddish-tinged, glabrous, 1-year old reddish black, 2-years old dark gray;

thorns on twigs ± straight, 2-years old blackish, fine, 2–3.5 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 25–40% blade, sessile- or stipitate-glandular;

blade narrowly ovate or ± oblong to narrowly obovate or narrowly rhombic, 2.5–5 cm, length/width = 1.5, thin, base cuneate, lobes 2–4 per side, sides ± bowed, sinuses shallow, max LII 10–30%, lobe apex obtuse to subacute, margins serrulate, ± distant from one another for their size, veins 4 or 5(or 6) per side, apex acute, adaxial veins pilose young.
Inflorescences

6–12-flowered;

branches glandular-punctate;

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

4–7-flowered (central axis very short);

branches glabrous;

bracteoles caducous, numerous, small, narrowly oblong, membranous, margins stipitate-glandular.
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.

15–20 mm diam.;

sepals narrowly triangular, 3–4 mm, margins glandular-serrate, teeth average size for series, apex obtuse, abaxially glabrous;

anthers pink, small;

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.

in clusters of 2–5, deep yellow, sometimes flushed red or purplish red, suborbicular, 6–7 mm diam.;

sepals reflexed;

pyrenes 3.

Crataegus rivularis

Crataegus pulcherrima
Phenology Flowering mid May–early Jun; fruiting Aug–Sep. Flowering mid Apr; fruiting Sep–Oct.
Habitat Intermontane streamsides, ditches, flood plains Open or rocky woodlands, swamp borders
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; LA; MS
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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 pulcherrima occurs from Louisiana to Georgia and northern Florida. Crataegus robur Beadle is similar and perhaps the same.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 510. FNA vol. 9, p. 583.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Douglasia > ser. Cerrones Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Pulcherrimae
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. 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. 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
Name authority Nuttall: in J. Torrey and A. Gray, Fl. N. Amer. 1: 464. (1840) Ashe: J. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc. 16: 77. (1900)
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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