''Crataegus douglasii'' is a North American species of
hawthorn known by the common names black hawthorn and Douglas' thornapple. It is most abundant in the
Pacific Northwest.
Description
''Crataegus douglasii'' is a compact erect bushy
shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
growing to tall with a trunk of up to thick.
It is covered in fan-shaped green leaves about long
with teeth along the distal margin. Thorns along the branches are 1–2.5 cm long.
White flowers with greenish centers grow in bunches at the ends of each thin branch. The fruit is a blackish
pome
In botany, a pome is a type of fruit produced by flowering plants in the subtribe Malinae of the family Rosaceae. Well-known pomes include the apple, pear, and quince.
Etymology
The word ''pome'' entered English in the late 14th century, and re ...
up to about 1 cm across, containing 3–5 rocklike seeds.
Taxonomy
The species is named after
David Douglas, who collected seed from the plant during his botanical explorations.
Formerly placed within the species, ''Crataegus douglasii'' var. ''duchesnensis'' is now considered to be a synonym of ''
Crataegus saligna
''Crataegus saligna'' is a species of hawthorn known by the common name willow hawthorn that is seldom cultivated and rather rare in the wild. Its native range is wet areas of western Colorado and northeastern Utah. It is a shrub or small tree wi ...
''.
Distribution
The thorny
shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
is native to northern and western North America, where it grows in varied habitats from forest to scrubland. It is most abundant in the
Pacific Northwest.
Ecology
The foliage is browsed by cattle and sheep. Various birds, including
quail, the
Hungarian partridge, and
ring-necked pheasant feed on the berries,
[ as do bears and other animals.]Magpie
Magpies are birds of the Corvidae family. Like other members of their family, they are widely considered to be intelligent creatures. The Eurasian magpie, for instance, is thought to rank among the world's most intelligent creatures, and is one ...
s nest in the branches.[The Xerces Society (2016), ''Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects'', Timber Press.]
Uses
The fruits were a good food source for Native American peoples such as the Cheyenne and Nlaka'pamux.
Gallery
File:Crataegus_douglasii_9816.JPG, Straight, stout thorns are one to two centimeters long.
See also
* List of hawthorn species with black fruit
References
USDA Forest Service: Fire Effects Information System
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment - ''Crataegus douglasii''U.Mich: Ethnobotany''Crataegus douglasii'' - Photo gallery
douglasii
Flora of the Northwestern United States
Flora of Western Canada
Flora of California
Flora of the Great Lakes region (North America)
Flora of the North-Central United States
Flora of North America
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
{{Crataegus-stub