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Black hawthorn facts for kids

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"Black Hawthorn" redirects here. For the steam locomotive manufacturer, see Black, Hawthorn & Co.
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Crataegus douglasii
Crataegus douglasii.jpg
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Rosids
Order:
Rosales
Family:
Rosaceae
Genus:
Crataegus
Section:
Douglasia
Series:
Douglasianae

(Loudon) Eggl. ex Rehder
Species:
C. douglasii
Binomial name
Crataegus douglasii
Crataegus douglasii range map 2.png
Natural range of Crataegus douglasii
Synonyms

C. brockwayae Sarg.
C. columbiana Howell

Crataegus douglasii is a North American species of hawthorn known by the common names black hawthorn and Douglas' thornapple. It is named after David Douglas, who collected seed from the plant during his botanical explorations.

This thorny shrub 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.

Description

Crataegus douglasii is a compact erect bushy shrub covered in fan-shaped green leaves with teeth along the distal margin. Thorns along the branches are one to two centimeters long.

White flowers with greenish centers grow in bunches at the ends of each thin branch. The fruit is a very dark purple pome up to about a centimeter across. The fruits were a good food source for Native American peoples such as the Cheyenne and Nlaka'pamux.

Ecology

The foliage is browsed by cattle and sheep, and various birds, including quail, the Hungarian partridge, and ring-necked pheasant, feed on the berries. It is a larval host to the gray hairstreak, mourning cloak, pale tiger swallowtail, and western tiger swallowtail.

Formerly placed within this species

  • Crataegus douglasii var. duchesnensis is now considered to be a synonym of Crataegus saligna.

Images for kids

  • Crataegus douglasii 9816

    Straight, stout thorns are one to two centimeters long.

  • Crataegus douglasii 9820

    The white flowers have greenish centers.

  • Crataegus douglasii 9473

    Crataegus douglasii

  • Crataegus douglasii 9467

    The leaf margin is toothed and usually slightly lobed.

  • Crataegus douglasii (5192274425)

    Crataegus douglasii leaves changing color in fall.

  • Crataegus douglasii mature bark

    The mature bark is grey and rough.

  • Crataegus douglasii kz1

    Crataegus douglasii

  • Crataegus douglasii JEPS109866 (4496863581)

    Crataegus douglasii JEPS109866 (4496863581)

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Black hawthorn Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.