Midland Hawthorn
Encyclopedia
Crataegus laevigata, known as the midland hawthorn, woodland hawthorn or mayflower, is a species of hawthorn
native to western and central Europe
, from Great Britain
(where it is uncommon, and largely confined to the Midlands
) and Spain
east to the Czech Republic
and Hungary
. The species name is often spelled C. levigata, but the original orthography is C. lævigata.
It is a large shrub
or small tree
growing to 8 m (rarely to 12 m) tall, with a dense crown. The leaves
are 2–6 cm long and 2–5 cm broad, with 2–3 shallow, forward-pointing lobes on each side of the leaf. The hermaphrodite
flower
s are produced in corymbs of 6–12, each flower with five white or pale pink petals and two or three styles, and are pollinated by midge
s. The fruit
is a dark red pome
6–10 mm diameter, slightly broader than long, containing 2–3 nutlets
.
It is distinguished from the related Common Hawthorn
, C. monogyna, in the leaves being only shallowly lobed, with forward-pointing lobes, and in the flowers having more than one styles. However hybrids occur frequently.
, a name that has now been rejected as being of uncertain application.
In 1753 Linnaeus
introduced the name C. oxyacantha for the single species of which he was aware, but described it in such a way that the name became used for various species, including both the Midland and the Common Hawthorn. In 1775 Jacquin formally separated the Common Hawthorn, naming it C. monogyna, and in 1946 Dandy
showed that Linnaeus had actually observed a different plant, and this would be C. oxyacantha. However, by this time confusion over the true identity of C. oxyacantha
was so great that Byatt proposed that the name should be formally rejected as ambiguous, and this proposal was accepted by the International Botanical Congress
, although the name continues to be used informally.
The Midland Hawthorn was described botanically as a separate species as long ago as 1798 by Poiret
, whose name Mespilus laevigata referred to this hawthorn. Poiret's name is reflected in the revised formal botanical name of Midland Hawthorn: Crataegus laevigata (Poir.) DC.
Crataegus
Crataegus , commonly called hawthorn or thornapple, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. The name hawthorn was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe,...
native to western and central Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, from Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
(where it is uncommon, and largely confined to the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
) and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
east to the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. The species name is often spelled C. levigata, but the original orthography is C. lævigata.
It is a large shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
or small tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
growing to 8 m (rarely to 12 m) tall, with a dense crown. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are 2–6 cm long and 2–5 cm broad, with 2–3 shallow, forward-pointing lobes on each side of the leaf. The hermaphrodite
Plant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are produced in corymbs of 6–12, each flower with five white or pale pink petals and two or three styles, and are pollinated by midge
Midge
A midge is a very small, two-winged flying insect. "Midge" may also refer to:-Real:* Midge Costanza , American politician* Mildred Gillars , aka "Midge", American broadcaster of Nazi propaganda during World War II...
s. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is a dark red pome
Pome
In botany, a pome is a type of fruit produced by flowering plants in the subfamily Maloideae of the family Rosaceae.A pome is an accessory fruit composed of one or more carpels surrounded by accessory tissue...
6–10 mm diameter, slightly broader than long, containing 2–3 nutlets
Pyrena
Pyrena or pyrene is the name for a nutlet resembling a seed, or the kernel of a drupe or drupelet....
.
It is distinguished from the related Common Hawthorn
Common Hawthorn
Crataegus monogyna, known as common hawthorn or single-seeded hawthorn, is a species of hawthorn native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia. It has been introduced in many other parts of the world where it is an invasive weed...
, C. monogyna, in the leaves being only shallowly lobed, with forward-pointing lobes, and in the flowers having more than one styles. However hybrids occur frequently.
Taxonomy
In the past, Midland Hawthorn was widely but incorrectly known by the name C. oxyacanthaCrataegus oxyacantha
The name Crataegus oxyacantha L. has been rejected as being of uncertain application, but is sometimes still used.-Taxonomy:Linnaeus introduced the name Crataegus oxyacantha for a species of Northern European Hawthorn and the name gradually became used for several similar species which were assumed...
, a name that has now been rejected as being of uncertain application.
In 1753 Linnaeus
Carolus Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
introduced the name C. oxyacantha for the single species of which he was aware, but described it in such a way that the name became used for various species, including both the Midland and the Common Hawthorn. In 1775 Jacquin formally separated the Common Hawthorn, naming it C. monogyna, and in 1946 Dandy
James Edgar Dandy
James Edgar Dandy was a British botanist, Keeper of Botany, at the British Museum between 1956 and 1966.- References :...
showed that Linnaeus had actually observed a different plant, and this would be C. oxyacantha. However, by this time confusion over the true identity of C. oxyacantha
Crataegus oxyacantha
The name Crataegus oxyacantha L. has been rejected as being of uncertain application, but is sometimes still used.-Taxonomy:Linnaeus introduced the name Crataegus oxyacantha for a species of Northern European Hawthorn and the name gradually became used for several similar species which were assumed...
was so great that Byatt proposed that the name should be formally rejected as ambiguous, and this proposal was accepted by the International Botanical Congress
International Botanical Congress
International Botanical Congress is a large-scale meeting of botanists in all scientific fields, from all over the world. Authorized by the International Association of Botanical and Mycological Societies , congresses are held every six years with the venue circulating around the world. The XVIII...
, although the name continues to be used informally.
The Midland Hawthorn was described botanically as a separate species as long ago as 1798 by Poiret
Jean Louis Marie Poiret
Jean Louis Marie Poiret was a French clergyman, botanist and explorer.From 1785 to 1786 he was sent by Louis XVI to Algeria to study the flora...
, whose name Mespilus laevigata referred to this hawthorn. Poiret's name is reflected in the revised formal botanical name of Midland Hawthorn: Crataegus laevigata (Poir.) DC.
See also
- The hawthorn button-top gall on midland hawthorn, is caused by the dipteron gall-midge Dasineura crataegiDasineura crataegiThe hawthorn button-top gall, is caused by the dipteron gall-midge Dasineura crataegi . The gall develops in the terminal shoots of Hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna and the midland hawthorn Crataegus laevigata and their hybrids.Synonyms are Perrisia crataegi and Cecidomyia crataegi, .-The physical...
.