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- Crataegus fretalis
Crataegus fretalis — Long Island Sound hawthorn
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Facts
Crataegus fretalis is a rare hawthorn in New England. Aspects of its morphology are intermediate between C. flabellata and C. macrosperma, suggesting it may be a hybrid-derived species.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (human-disturbed or -maintained habitats), forest edges, forests, meadows and fields
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- 
                                
                                    - Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
 
- Growth form
- 
                                
                                    - the plant is a shrub (i.e., a woody plant with several stems growing from the base)
- the plant is a tree
 
- Leaf type
- the leaf blade is simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaves per node
- there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- 
                                
                                    - the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
 
- Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
- armature on plant
- the plant has spines, prickles, or thorns
- Leaf blade length
- 15–75 mm
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is fleshy
- Twig winter color
- 
                                
                                    - brown
- red
 
- Bud scale number
- there are three or more scales on the winter bud, and they overlap like shingles, with one edge covered and the other edge exposed
- 
                        Buds or leaf scars- Bud scale number
- there are three or more scales on the winter bud, and they overlap like shingles, with one edge covered and the other edge exposed
 - Bud scar shape (Fraxinus)
- NA
 - Collateral buds
- there are no collateral buds on the sides of the branches
 - Superposed buds
- there are no superposed buds on the branch
 
- 
                        Flowers- Anther color
- there is a noticeable pink, reddish or purplish tint to the anthers
 - Carpels fused
- the carpels are fused to one another
 - Enlarged sterile flowers
- there are no enlarged sterile flowers on the plant
 - Flower petal color
- white
 - Flower symmetry
- there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
 - Hairs on ovary (Amelanchier)
- NA
 - Hypanthium present
- the flower has a hypanthium
 - Inflorescence hairs
- there are no hairs on the inflorescence
 - Inflorescence type
- the inflorescence is a corymb (with long lower branches and shorter upper branches, giving it a more or less flat-topped look)
 - Number of pistils
- 1
 - Ovary position
- 
                                
                                    - the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
- the ovary is below the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
 
 - Petal and sepal arrangement
- the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
 - Petal appearance
- the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
 - Petal fusion
- the perianth parts are separate
 - Sepal cilia (Ilex)
- NA
 - Sepal tip glands
- there are glands at the tips of the sepal lobes
 - Stamen number
- 
                                
                                    - 10
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
 
 - Stamens fused
- the stamens are not fused to one another
 
- 
                        Fruits or seeds- Berry color
- red
 - Fruit tissue origin
- the hypanthium of the flower becomes part of the fruit
 - Fruit type (general)
- the fruit is fleshy
 - Fruit type (specific)
- the fruit is a berry (fleshy, with the wall enclosing one or more sections, with two or more seeds)
 - Nut with spines (Fagaceae)
- NA
 - Wings on fruit
- there are no wings on the fruit
 
- 
                        Glands or sap- Sap color
- the sap is clear and watery
 - Stalked glands on fruit (Rosa)
- NA
 
- 
                        Growth form- Growth form
- 
                                
                                    - the plant is a shrub (i.e., a woody plant with several stems growing from the base)
- the plant is a tree
 
 
- 
                        Leaves- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- 
                                
                                    - the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
 
 - Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is rounded
 - Leaf blade edges
- 
                                
                                    - the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
 
 - Leaf blade edges (Acer)
- NA
 - Leaf blade flatness
- the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges
 - Leaf blade hairs
- the hairs on the leaf blade are different from the choices given
 - Leaf blade length
- 15–75 mm
 - Leaf blade scales
- there are no scales on the leaf blades
 - Leaf blade shape
- 
                                
                                    - the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is orbicular (roughly circular, as wide as long)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is triangular, with the stalk or attachment point on one of the sides
 
 - Leaf blade texture
- 
                                
                                    - the leaf blade is coriaceous (has a firm, leathery texture)
- the leaf blade is herbaceous (has a leafy texture)
 
 - Leaf blade translucent dots
- there are no translucent dots on the leaf blade
 - Leaf duration
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
 - Leaf form
- the plant is broad-leaved (with broadly flattened leaf blades)
 - Leaf lobe tips (Quercus)
- NA
 - Leaf midrib glands
- the midrib of the leaf blade lacks glands on the upper surface
 - Leaf stalk
- the leaves have leaf stalks
 - Leaf stalk nectaries
- the leaf stalk has nectaries on it
 - Leaf teeth
- the leaf blade margin is serrate (with forward-pointing) or dentate (with outward-pointing) with medium-sized to coarse teeth
 - Leaf teeth hairs (Carya)
- NA
 - Leaf type
- the leaf blade is simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
 - Leaves per node
- there is one leaf per node along the stem
 - Specific leaf type
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
 - Stipules
- the plant has stipules
 
- 
                        Place- Habitat
- terrestrial
 - New England state
- 
                                
                                    - Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
 
 - Specific habitat
- 
                                
                                    - edges of forests
- forests
- human-disturbed or -maintained habitats
- meadows or fields
 
 
- 
                        Scent- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of an odor, or it has an unpleasant or repellant odor
 
- 
                        Stem, shoot, branch- Aerial roots
- the plant has no aerial roots
 - Branch brittleness (willows only)
- NA
 - Branch cross-section
- the branch is circular in cross-section, or it has five or more sides, so that there are no sharp angles
 - First-year cane (Rubus)
- NA
 - Pith shape
- the outline of the pith in a twig is roughly round
 - Twig papillae (Vaccinium species only)
- NA
 - Twig winter color
- 
                                
                                    - brown
- red
 
 - Wings on branch
- the branch does not have wings on it
 - armature on plant
- the plant has spines, prickles, or thorns
 
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
17. Crataegus fretalis Sarg. NC
Long Island Sound hawthorn. Crataegus ampla Sarg. • CT, MA, ME. Fields, forest borders, roadsides, early successional forests. Crataegus fretalis is hypothesized to be of hybrid origin between a member of series Coccineae (e.g., C. coccinea) and a member of series Tenuifoliae (e.g., C. macrosperma; Palmer 1952). Its occurrence in ME, outside the range of any member of series Coccineae, suggests it is acting as a species.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Crataegus coccinea:
- pomes globose to subglobose, 9-12 mm in diameter (vs. C. fretalis, with pomes obloid to obovoid, 8-10 mm in diameter).
- Crataegus holmesiana:
- leaf blades on short shoots elliptic to elliptic-ovate, 1.2-1.5 times as long as wide, as pomes 9-12 mm in diameter (vs. C. fretalis, with leaf blades on short shoots elliptic-ovate to ovate or triangular ovate, 1.1-1.3 times as long as wide, and pomes 8-10 mm in diameter).
Synonyms
- Crataegus ampla Sarg.
![Leaves: Crataegus fretalis. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2025 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-239x239/Rosaceae/crataegus-fretalis-le-ahaines.jpg) 
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