Flora of North America species comparison

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Crataegus succulenta

Crataegus succulenta var. neofluvialis

aubépine succulente, fleshy hawthorn, succulent hawthorn
Photo is of parent taxon
Habit Shrubs or trees, 40–80 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.

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.

blade elliptic to rhombic-elliptic or narrowly ovate, proportionately narrow (1.6–2:1).
Inflorescence(s)

15–30-flowered;

branches pubescent or glabrous;

bracteoles linear, 1.7 cm, margins glandular.

branches glabrate.
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.

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.

7–10 mm diam.
Anthers

red or pink.
2n

= 51.

Crataegus succulenta

Crataegus succulenta var. neofluvialis
Phenology Flowering Apr–May; fruiting Sep–Oct.
Habitat Brush, field margins, open woodlands
Elevation 100–1600 m (300–5200 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
MO; NC; VT
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.)

Variety neofluvialis is sporadic in occurrence. It is an extreme form of Crataegus succulenta with regard to leaf proportions.

(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. 519.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Macracanthae > ser. Macracanthae Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Maleae > Crataegus > sect. Macracanthae > ser. Macracanthae > Crataegus succulenta
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. succulenta var. gemmosa, C. succulenta var. michiganensis, C. succulenta var. pisifera, C. succulenta var. succulenta
Subordinate taxa
C. succulenta var. gemmosa, C. succulenta var. michiganensis, C. succulenta var. neofluvialis, C. succulenta var. pisifera, C. succulenta var. succulenta
Synonyms C. neofluvialis
Name authority Schrader ex Link: Handbuch 2: 78. (1831) (Ashe) E. J. Palmer: in E. J. Dole, Fl. Vermont ed. 3, 155. (1937)
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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