Shrubs or trees, 40–100[–120] dm. Stems: trunk bark freshly exposed ± orange, older gray-brown, flattened-scaly, exfoliating in elongate strips; compound thorns on trunks usually absent; thorns on twigs determinate or indeterminate. Leaves deciduous; petiole length 30–50% blade; blade broadly elliptic to obovate or ovate to deltate, lobes 1–3 per side, sinuses shallow or deep, venation craspedodromous, veins to lobes and sinuses; blades on extension shoots sometimes fully pinnate. Inflorescences 3–15-flowered; branches glabrous [to lanate]; bracteoles caducous, ± linear, small, membranous, margins entire or denticulate or with small protuberances or pegs bearing terminal, small glands. Flowers 8–22 mm diam.; sepals narrowly triangular; stamens [10–]20, filaments long, anthers pink to purple; styles 1–3. Pomes bright to dark red [black], ± orbicular to ± cylindric, 6–14 mm diam., glabrous [to tomentose]; flesh yellowish; sepal remnants persistent; pyrenes 1–3, dorsally shallowly grooved, sides grooved [plane].

Distribution

Introduced; Europe, w Asia, n Africa, introduced also in South America, s Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia.

Discussion

Species ca. 25 (2 in the flora).

Crataegus oxyacantha Linnaeus is a rejected name of this series that is suppressed by C. rhipidophylla Gandoger. There are several instances of its misapplication in North America to C. monogyna.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna

Key

1	Leaf lobe apices obtuse, sinuses ± shallow; styles 2 or 3.	Crataegus laevigata
1	Leaf lobe apices acute, sinuses usually deep; style 1.	Crataegus monogyna