Crataegus punctata
Encyclopedia
Crataegus punctata is a species of hawthorn
known by the common names dotted hawthorn or white haw that is native to most of the eastern U.S. and eastern Canada
. It is the state flower of Missouri
.
Although many North American hawthorns are polyploid and reproduce by apomixis
, this species is apparently diploid and sexual, at least throughout Ontario, Canada. The name white haw refers to its distinctive pale (grey) bark, which is particularly noticeable in the winter landscape. The plant is a bush or small tree to about 7 meters in height and very thorny, particularly on the trunk. The flower has 3 to 5 styles and approximately 20 stamens, and the fruit has 3 to 5 nutlets. Anther colour varies from deep purple through red to pink to white, and the mature fruit colour can be deep burgundy, scarlet, yellow, or yellow with a red cheek.
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,...
known by the common names dotted hawthorn or white haw that is native to most of the eastern U.S. and eastern Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is the state flower of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
.
Although many North American hawthorns are polyploid and reproduce by apomixis
Apomixis
In botany, apomixis was defined by Winkler as replacement of the normal sexual reproduction by asexual reproduction, without fertilization. This definition notably does not mention meiosis...
, this species is apparently diploid and sexual, at least throughout Ontario, Canada. The name white haw refers to its distinctive pale (grey) bark, which is particularly noticeable in the winter landscape. The plant is a bush or small tree to about 7 meters in height and very thorny, particularly on the trunk. The flower has 3 to 5 styles and approximately 20 stamens, and the fruit has 3 to 5 nutlets. Anther colour varies from deep purple through red to pink to white, and the mature fruit colour can be deep burgundy, scarlet, yellow, or yellow with a red cheek.