Crataegus opaca

Hooker & Arnott

Compan. Bot. Mag. 1: 25. 1835.

Common names: Western mayhaw
EndemicIllustrated
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 9. Treatment on page 547. Mentioned on page 546.

Trees, 80+ dm. Stems: 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. Leaves: 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. Inflorescences ± sessile or in 3–6-flowered umbels; branches absent or short, glabrous; bracteoles few, oblong-linear, margins glandular. Flowers 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. Pomes red, sometimes yellow, (8–) 12–15 mm diam.; pyrenes 4 or 5.2n = 34.


Phenology: Flowering Feb–Mar; fruiting May–Jun.
Habitat: Seasonally inundated depressions, ditches, sink holes, relict interdune swales, streamsides
Elevation: 10–100 m

Discussion

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.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thin" is not a number."short" is not a number."adnate" is not a number."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Crataegus opaca"
glabrescent +  and rufous-tomentose +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
rose +  and reddish +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +
glossy +  and matte +
subacute;acute +
James B. Phipps +
Hooker & Arnott +
thin-exfoliating +  and corrugated +
compound +  and simple +
opposite +  and alternate +
cuneate +
Aestivales +
elliptic +, less elliptic +  and lance-elliptic +
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br />) +
elliptic +  and narrowly oblanceolate lance-elliptic or ovate +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
coriaceous +
adnate +  and distinct +
crowded +, scattered +  and alternate +
Western mayhaw +
Ala. +, La. +, Miss. +  and Tex. +
not +  and aggregated +
10–100 m +
succulent +
1.25 cm12.5 mm <br />0.0125 m <br /> (1.75 cm17.5 mm <br />0.0175 m <br />) +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
not +  and aggregated +
not +  and aggregated +
yellow +  and red or purplish +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
old +  and new +
rufous-tomentose +
Seasonally inundated depressions, ditches, sink holes, relict interdune swales, streamsides +
constricted +
in 3-6-flowered umbels +  and sessile +
crassinucellate +
umbellate +  and 2-6-flowered +
deciduous +
sinuate +
craspedodromous +  and eglandular +
glandular-serrate +  and entire +
crenate +, or +  and entire +
inferior +  and superior +
biseriate +  and clustered +
collateral +  and basal +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
elliptic +  and circular +
0 (?) +  and 4 (?) +
pale-pink +  and white to sometimes +
free +  and distinct +
post-mature +
7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br /> (?) +
rufous-tomentose +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
Flowering Feb–Mar +  and fruiting May–Jun. +
adnate +, free +, connate +  and distinct +
dark gray-brown +  and russet +
exfoliating +  and corrugated +
pruinose +
yellow +  and red +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
suborbicular +
Compan. Bot. Mag. +
not arillate +
persistent +
free +  and distinct +
short +  and much shorter +
triangular +
accrescent +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (?) +
1-50-flowered +  and few-leaved +
Endemic +  and Illustrated +
free +  and distinct +
branched +  and simple +
persistent +
distinct +
exsert +  and lateral +
elongate +
hairy +  and glabrous +
Crataegus sect. Aestivales +
Crataegus opaca +
Crataegus (sect. Coccineae) ser. Aestivales +
species +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br />) +
dark gray +  and black +
straight +
slender +  and stout +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
craspedodromous +  and gland-tipped +
gland-dotted +
inconspicuous +
less erect +  and oblique +
1 +  and several +
determinate +
few +  and numerous +
3-6-flowered +
5 (?) +  and 9 (?) +