Flora of North America species comparison

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Crataegus succulenta

Crataegus cupressocollina

aubépine succulente, fleshy hawthorn, succulent hawthorn

cypress hills hawthorn
Habit Shrubs or trees, 40–80 dm. Shrubs or trees, ± erect, 25–60 dm.
Stems

older trunks usually bearing compound thorns;

twigs: new growth reddish green, glabrous, 1-year old dark, shiny red-brown, 2–3-years old becoming dark gray, older ± paler gray;

thorns on twigs numerous, usually recurved, shiny, 1-year old dark blackish brown, stout, 3–6(–8) cm.

twigs: new growth greenish red young, sparsely pilose, 1-year old deep to reddish brown, shiny, older orange-brown overlaid with gray;

bark on 2–5 cm thick branches orange-brown;

thorns on twigs few to numerous, ± straight to strongly recurved, slender, 3–7 cm, 2-years old blackish brown.
Leaves

petiole 1–2 cm, narrowly winged distally, glabrous, eglandular;

blade rhombic-elliptic to broadly rhombic-ovate or elliptic, 4–7 cm widest near middle, subcoriaceous mature (then often blue-green), base cuneate (constricted), lobes 3–5 per side, obscure to well-marked, sinuses shallow, lobe apex usually subacute to obtuse, margins serrate except proximally, veins 6–8 per side, impressed, apex acute to subacute, rarely obtuse, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial scabrate-pubescent young.

petiole 1–2 cm, sparsely hairy young, sparsely glandular;

blade ± ovate to broadly elliptic, 3–6 cm, thin, base broadly cuneate, lobes 3 or 4 per side, max LII ca. 15%, lobe apex acute to ± rounded, margins serrate, teeth numerous, small, gland-tipped when young, veins 3 or 4 per side, apex acute, shiny, abaxial surface glabrate, some axils of midvein pilose, adaxial appressed-hairy.
Inflorescences

15–30-flowered;

branches pubescent or glabrous;

bracteoles linear, 1.7 cm, margins glandular.

5–15-flowered;

branches sparsely to moderately or densely pilose;

bracteoles pale brownish, margins nearly eglandular, minutely short, delicately stipulate-glandular.
Flowers

12–17 mm diam.;

hypanthium glabrous or pubescent;

sepals narrowly triangular, 4–6 mm, margins glandular-serrate to glandular-laciniate, abaxially glabrous, adaxial pubescence not recorded;

stamens 20, anthers usually red or pink, rarely white, 0.5–0.7 mm;

styles 2 or 3.

15–18 mm diam.;

hypanthium glabrous;

sepals ± anthocyanic, triangular, length not recorded, margins finely glandular-serrate, abaxially glabrous, adaxially pilose;

stamens 10, anthers white;

styles 3–5.
Pomes

bright or deep red, lustrous, suborbicular, (4–)7–10(–14) mm diam., glabrous, rarely pubescent;

flesh mealy or succulent mature;

sepals spreading-reflexed;

pyrenes 2 or 3, sides pitted.

on pendulous branches, burgundy (Aug–early Sep), black (late Sep), glossy, ellipsoid, 7–10 mm diam., glabrous;

sepals spreading, wide, 3–4 mm, apex ± acuminate;

pyrenes 3–5, sides ± irregularly pitted or scarred.
2n

= 51.

Crataegus succulenta

Crataegus cupressocollina
Phenology Flowering late May–early Jun; fruiting Aug–Sep.
Habitat Thickets, grasslands, light shade of Populus spp.
Elevation 800–1200 m (2600–3900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; IA; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; NH; NY; OH; PA; RI; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; MB; ON; QC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
MT; AB; SK
Discussion

Varieties 5 (5 in the flora).

Crataegus succulenta ranges through the southern Great Lakes area to the middle St. Lawrence and southern New England, to Minnesota, to Iowa, Missouri (very rare), and Ohio, the Appalachians to North Carolina. An outlier has recently been recognized in Manitoba.

The dark twig colors of Crataegus succulenta are dramatic in winter and the coral red expanding bud scales are conspicuous in spring, more so than in most other species of hawthorn except C. macracantha. In summer, its commonly bluish green leaves, eglandular petioles, and impressed venation combine with thorn and twig characteristics to make this and C. macracantha usually instantly recognizable.

Crataegus succulenta often forms suckering thickets in the north.

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

Crataegus cupressocollina is found through much of the Cypress Hills, where it may be common, and in a restricted area in the Bear's Paw Mountains, Montana. The species is distinctive in its tall, willowy, upright habit, leaf form, relatively long, slender thorns, and two to five year-old orange-brown bark. The flowers differ from those in ser. Douglasianae in their white anthers. The ripe fruit of C. cupressocollina is glabrous and plum red to purple-brown in late August, after which it ripens to a glossy purple-black. The large, pendulous clusters of fruit at once draw attention, as do the reddish tips of the sepals and the soft red-brown of the often nearly eglandular bracteoles when in flower. The colorful expanding bud scales are also rather striking. Crataegus cupressocollina is the first to flower of sympatric species.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Leaf blades proportionately narrow (1.6–2:1), elliptic to rhombic-elliptic or narrowly ovate
var. neofluvialis
1. Leaf blades proportionately wide (1.3–1.6:1), ovate to broadly rhombic-ovate or broadly elliptic
→ 2
2. Pomes 4–6 mm diam.
var. pisifera
2. Pomes 7–14 mm diam
→ 3
3. Pomes 12–14 mm diam.
var. gemmosa
3. Pomes 7–10 mm diam
→ 4
4. Anthers red or pink.
var. succulenta
4. Anthers white.
var. michiganensis
Source FNA vol. 9, p. 518. FNA vol. 9, p. 507.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Macracanthae > ser. Macracanthae Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Douglasia > ser. Purpureofructus
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. 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
C. succulenta var. gemmosa, C. succulenta var. michiganensis, C. succulenta var. neofluvialis, C. succulenta var. pisifera, C. succulenta var. succulenta
Name authority Schrader ex Link: Handbuch 2: 78. (1831) J. B. Phipps & O’Kennon: J. Bot. Res. Inst. Texas 1: 1056, plates 6.2a, 7a,b, fig. 6. (2007)
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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