Crataegus prunifolia (Lam.) Pers.

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Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Crataegus prunifolia' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/crataegus/crataegus-prunifolia/). Accessed 2024-03-19.

Synonyms

  • Mespilus prunifolia Lam.
  • C. crus-galli vat. prunifolia (Lam.) Torr. & Gr.

Glossary

calyx
(pl. calyces) Outer whorl of the perianth. Composed of several sepals.
glabrous
Lacking hairs smooth. glabrescent Becoming hairless.
glandular
Bearing glands.
globose
globularSpherical or globe-shaped.
hybrid
Plant originating from the cross-fertilisation of genetically distinct individuals (e.g. two species or two subspecies).
midrib
midveinCentral and principal vein in a leaf.
ovate
Egg-shaped; broadest towards the stem.

References

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Credits

Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles

Recommended citation
'Crataegus prunifolia' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.org/articles/crataegus/crataegus-prunifolia/). Accessed 2024-03-19.

Although undoubtedly related to the crus-galli group of thorns, this does not appear to have been found wild in N. America, although it has been suggested that a wild putative hybrid between crus-galli and macracantha is the same. This theory is supported by the shape of the nuts, which have hollows on the inner faces as in macracantha, only not so deep. Whatever its origin, C. prunifolia is one of the most admirable of all thorns. It is a tree up to 20 ft high, forming a rounded head of branches, wider than high, often reaching to the ground, and densely leafy; young shoots glabrous; spines rigid, sharp, 112 to 3 in. long. Leaves varying from roundish ovate or oval to obovate; 112 to 312 in. long, 112 to 212 in. wide; toothed nearly to the base, glabrous and brilliant dark green above; pale, dull and either glabrous or slightly downy on the midrib and veins beneath. The leaves turn a rich glowing crimson in autumn. Flowers 34 in. diameter, produced during June in rounded corymbs with hairy stalks; calyx-lobes glandular-toothed, not downy; stamens ten to fifteen, anthers pink. Fruit rich red, 58 in. long, globose, falling with the leaves in October. From crus-galli it is well distinguished by its wider leaves, hairy flower-stalks, and early falling fruit.

C. ovalifolia (Hornemann) DC., differs in the following respects from prunifolia: leaves somewhat downy on both surfaces; stamens fifteen to eighteen; but there are intermediate forms.

From the Supplement (Vol. V)

It was stated that the autumn colour of this species is ‘a rich glowing crimson’. This is true of some trees, but unfortunately not of all.


C splendens Lodd

Loudon makes this synonymous with C. crus-galli arbutifolia, a quite glabrous tree, whereas all the trees I have seen under the name of C. splendens are simply C. prunifolia as described above, i.e. with invariably downy flower-stalks, and leaves glabrous, except sometimes on the chief veins beneath.In Dendroflora, No. 4 (1967), p. 27, H. J. Grootendorst points out that the thorn offered by some nurseries in the Netherlands as C. crus-galli ‘Splendens’ is a clone of C. prunifolia distinguished by its very broad crown (the specimens at Kew by the Rose Garden are narrow-crowned, with pendulous branches).