Crataegus succulenta |
Crataegus opaca |
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aubépine succulente, fleshy hawthorn, succulent hawthorn |
western mayhaw |
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Habit | Shrubs or trees, 40–80 dm. | Trees, 80+ 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. |
trunks 0.3 m diam.; twigs: new growth rufous-tomentose, 1-year old medium to dark gray; thorns on twigs 2-years old dark gray to black, 2–4 cm. |
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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 4–7 mm, length 10–15% blade, short rufous-tomentose; blade ± elliptic to lance-elliptic, sometimes broadly elliptic, 5–7 cm, lobes 0 or sinuate (sometimes more deeply and irregularly lobed on vegetative shoots, then lobes often wider), margins entire or obscurely or shallowly crenate distally, teeth gland-dotted, veins 5–9(or 10) per side, apex subacute to acute, abaxial surface rufous-tomentose, especially along veins, sometimes glabrescent, adaxial usually dull, scabrous, especially young. |
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Inflorescences | 15–30-flowered; branches pubescent or glabrous; bracteoles linear, 1.7 cm, margins glandular. |
± sessile or in 3–6-flowered umbels; branches absent or short, glabrous; bracteoles few, oblong-linear, margins glandular. |
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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. |
precocious, 12.5–17.5 mm diam.; hypanthium glabrous; sepals 4 mm, margins entire or slightly glandular-serrate; petals white to sometimes pale pink, 7 mm; anthers reddish or rose, 1 mm; styles 4 or 5. |
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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. |
red, sometimes yellow, (8–)12–15 mm diam.; pyrenes 4 or 5. |
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2n | = 51. |
= 34. |
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Crataegus succulenta |
Crataegus opaca |
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Phenology | Flowering Feb–Mar; fruiting May–Jun. | |||||||||||||||||
Habitat | Seasonally inundated depressions, ditches, sink holes, relict interdune swales, streamsides | |||||||||||||||||
Elevation | 10–100 m (0–300 ft) | |||||||||||||||||
Distribution |
CT; IA; IL; IN; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; NH; NY; OH; PA; RI; TN; VA; VT; WI; WV; MB; ON; QC
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AL; LA; MS; TX |
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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 opaca occurs from eastern Texas to Alabama, is most common in Louisiana, and is apparently rare east of the Pearl River, Mississippi. The fruit is edible and used locally for conserves. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 9, p. 518. | FNA vol. 9, p. 547. | ||||||||||||||||
Parent taxa | Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Macracanthae > ser. Macracanthae | Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Coccineae > ser. Aestivales | ||||||||||||||||
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Name authority | Schrader ex Link: Handbuch 2: 78. (1831) | Hooker & Arnott: Compan. Bot. Mag. 1: 25. (1835) | ||||||||||||||||
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