''Crataegus azarolus'' is a species of hawthorn 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 ''Crataegus monogyna'', known as common hawthorn, one-seed hawthorn, or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. It is native to Europe, northwestern Africa, and West Asia, but has been introduced i ...

grows on. In the

Arab countries The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...

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 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 ...

) 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,

sloe ''Prunus spinosa'', called blackthorn or sloe, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. The species is native to Europe, western Asia, and regionally in northwest Africa. It is locally naturalized in New Zealand, Tasmania ...

s and

jujube Jujube (), sometimes jujuba, known by the scientific name ''Ziziphus jujuba'' and also called red date, Chinese date, and Chinese jujube, is a species in the genus '' Ziziphus'' in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. Description It is a smal ...

s. 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

Gallery

References

Further reading