Crataegus songarica C. Koch

Crataegus dsungarica Zabel ex Lange (Rev. Spec. Gen. Crataegi, 43. 1897), described from Shandong, may be a hybrid between C. altaica and C. songarica, but no specimens were seen by the present authors.

Shrubs or small trees, 4–5 m tall, armed or unarmed; thorny 0.8–1.5 cm, stout. Branchlets purplish brown when young, grayish brown when old, initially sparsely pubescent, soon glabrate, terete; buds reddish brown, ovoid, glabrous. Stipules falcate or lanceolate, ca. 8 mm, herbaceous, glabrous, margin serrate, apex acuminate; petiole 2–2.5 cm, glabrous or subglabrous; leaf blade rhomboidal-ovate to broadly ovate, 3.5–6.5 × 2.5–5.5 cm, both surfaces pubescent when young, glabrescent, base cuneate, rarely broadly cuneate, margin remotely serrate and with 2 or 3 pairs of deep lobes, or apically shallowly lobed; lobes oblong, apex acute. Corymb 3–5 cm in diam., many flowered; peduncle glabrous or slightly pubescent when young; bracts caducous, linear, membranous. Pedicel 0.5–1.5 cm, slightly pubescent when young. Hypanthium campanulate, initially pubescent, soon glabrous. Sepals triangular-ovate or broadly lanceolate, ca. 3 mm, abaxially initially pubescent, glabrescent. Petals not seen. Stamens 15–20. Ovary pubescent apically, 2- or 3-loculed, with 2 ovules per locule; styles 2 or 3. Pome reddish black with yellow pulp, sparsely punctate, globose, rarely ellipsoid, 1.2–1.6 cm in diam., glabrous; sepals persistent, reflexed; pyrenes 2 or 3, smooth on both inner sides. Fl. May, fr. Jul. 2n = 68*.

Small tree or shrub 4-5 m. Branches reddish, spiny, with large (8 cm), 5-7 lobed leaves. Flowers numerous, fruits purple-black. Very ornamental. Good for stabilizing sandy banks and hills in dry places. Z 5 (4). New.

Xinjiang (Huocheng Xian, Ili Xian) [Afghanistan, Kazakhstan; SW Asia (Iran)].

Central Asia, northern China, Iran and Afghanistan. Mountain valleys, rocky slopes.

Valleys, thickets; 500--2000 m.

Crataegus fischeri C. K. Schneider.

Crataegus songarica is an Asian species of hawthorn with black fruit that is sometimes used medicinally. It is closely related to Crataegus ambigua, a species that has red fruit.