Crataegus azarolus

Crataegus azarolus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Crataegus
Series:	Orientales Pojark.[1]
Species:	C. azarolus
Binomial name
Crataegus azarolus L.
Synonyms
Crataegus aronia Bosc non Decne.[2]

Crataegus azarolus is a species of hawthorn known by the common names azarole, mosphilla, and Mediterranean medlar. It is native to the Mediterranean Basin and it is grown there and elsewhere as an ornamental tree and for its fruit. It has been used historically for a number of medicinal purposes.^[3]

C. azarolus is often divided into subspecies or varieties, for example Christensen in his monograph^[1] 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) K.I.Chr. has yellowish or orange fruit

Images

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  Botanical illustration from Duhamel du Monceau, H.L. 1768. Traité des arbres fruitiers

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See also

• List of hawthorn species with yellow fruit

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Christensen, K.I. (1992) Revision of Crataegus sect. Crataegus and nothosect. Crataeguineae (Rosaceae-Maloideae) in the Old World. The American Society of Plant Taxonomists, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.
2. ^ Plants for a Future PFAF (page 1)
3. ^ Ljubuncic, P., et al. (2005). Antioxidant activity of Crataegus aronia aqueous extract used in traditional Arab medicine in Israel. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 101:1 153-61.

External links

• USDA Plants Profile
• GRIN Species Profile
• PFAF Profile (page 2)

Further reading

• Hadjimitsi, E. and I. Zabetakis. (2005). Flavour and Fragrance Journal 20:5 507-11. "The aroma of jam prepared from fruits of mosphilla (Crataegus azarolus)."
• Phipps, J.B., O’Kennon, R.J., and Lance, R.W. (2003) "Hawthorns and medlars." Royal Horticultural Society, Cambridge, U.K.