''Crataegus azarolus'' is a species of
hawthorn
Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to:
Plants
* '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae
* ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...
known by the common names azarole, azerole, and Mediterranean medlar. It is native to the
Mediterranean Basin
In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin (; also known as the Mediterranean Region or sometimes Mediterranea) is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have mostly a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and w ...
and is a common plant there, growing on sites comparable to those the European
common hawthorn grows on. In the
Arab countries it is the most common hawthorn species. When growing in the wild, the azerole bears plentiful crops of haw fruits, which are similar to the haws of the European common hawthorn, but more plump.
''C. azarolus'' is often divided into
subspecies
In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...
or
varieties, for example Christensen in his monograph
[ uses four varieties:
*''C. azarolus'' var. ''azarolus'' has orange fruit.
*''C. azarolus'' var. ''aronia'' L., has yellowish fruit often with some red tinges
*''C. azarolus'' var. ''chlorocarpa'' ( Moris) K.I.Chr. has yellowish fruit
* ''C. azarolus'' var. ''pontica'' (]K.Koch
Karl Heinrich Emil Koch (6 June 1809 – 25 May 1879) was a German botanist. He is best known for his botanical explorations in the Caucasus region, including northeast Turkey. Most of his collections have today been lost. He is also known as t ...
) K.I.Chr. has yellowish or orange fruit
''C. azarolus'' has been used historically for a number of medicinal purposes.
Gallery
File:Crataegus azarolus HRM.jpg, Fruit of ''Crataegus azarolus''
File:Hawthorn (Crataegus aronia).jpg, Blossoms of the ''Crataegus azarolus'' var. ''aronia''
File:Frutos del otono.jpg, Orange and yellow azarole fruits displayed alongside common haws, sloes and jujubes.
File:Crataegus azarolus.jpg, Botanical illustration from Duhamel du Monceau, H.L. 1768. ''Traité des arbres fruitiers''
File:Hawthorn blossoms (Crataegus aronia).jpg, ''Crataegus azarolus'' var. ''aronia'' in bloom
References
Further reading
*
*
azarolus
Flora of Western Asia
Flora of the Mediterranean Basin
Trees of Mediterranean climate
Garden plants of Europe
Bird food plants
Ornamental trees
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
{{Crataegus-stub