Crataegus laciniata

Crataegus laciniata is a species of hawthorn found in Morocco, Algeria, Spain and Sicily.

Description

A deciduous shrub or tree. It grows 6 m high. It is broadly spreading. It is thorny. The bark is grey and flakes into thin plates. The leaves are diamond shaped and 5 cm long and across. They are deeply lobed. The lobes can have teeth at the tip. They are glossy green above and grey and hairy underneath. The flowers are 2 cm across and white with pink anthers. They grow in dense clusters. The fruit are rounded and red. They are 2 cm across. They have a flattened top.

Edible Uses

The fruit, about 1.5cm in diameter, can be eaten raw or cooked and has a pleasant acid taste. It offers a good flesh-to-seed ratio and can be eaten in quantity for dessert. It works well in pies and preserves and can also be dried for later use. The fruit pulp can additionally be dried, ground into a meal, and mixed with flour for use in bread and similar preparations. Up to five fairly large seeds sit in the centre of each fruit and often stick together, giving the impression of a cherry-like fruit with a single stone.

Traditional Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and used in pies and preserves. They can be dried.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

Although no specific mention has been found for this species, the fruits and flowers of many hawthorns are well established in herbal folk medicine as a heart tonic, a use supported by modern research. Both parts have a hypotensive effect and act as a direct, mild cardiotonic. They are especially indicated for weak heart combined with high blood pressure. Prolonged use is necessary for the treatment to be effective, and it is normally taken as a tea or tincture.

Distribution

It is a Mediterranean climate plant. It is native to SW Asia and SE Europe. It grows on the edges of woods and thickets. Temperate. It is resistant to frost and drought. It suits hardiness zones 6-9.

Where It Grows

Africa, Asia, Australia, Britain, Europe*, Greece, Italy, Mediterranean, Morocco, North Africa, Spain, Tunisia,

Cultivation

A very easily grown plant, it prefers a well-drained moisture retentive loamy soil but is not at all fussy. Once established, it succeeds in excessively moist soils and also tolerates drought. It grows well on a chalk soil and also in heavy clay soils. A position in full sun is best when plants are being grown for their fruit, they also succeed in semi-shade though fruit yields and quality will be lower in such a position. Most members of this genus succeed in exposed positions, they also tolerate atmospheric pollution. A very hardy species, tolerating temperatures down to at least -18°c. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Seedling trees take from 5 - 8 years before they start bearing fruit, though grafted trees will often flower heavily in their third year. The flowers have a foetid smell somewhat like decaying fish. This attracts midges which are the main means of fertilization. When freshly open, the flowers have more pleasant scent with balsamic undertones. Seedlings should not be left in a seedbed for more than 2 years without being transplanted.

Propagation

Seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in autumn in a cold frame; some will germinate the following spring, though most will likely take another year. Stored seed can be very slow and erratic — warm stratify for 3 months at 15°c, then cold stratify for 3 months at 4°c, and it may still take a further 18 months to germinate. Scarifying before stratification may reduce this time, and fermenting the seed for a few days in its own pulp may also speed germination. Alternatively, harvest seed green — as soon as the embryo is fully developed but before the seedcoat hardens — and sow immediately in a cold frame for possible spring germination. For small quantities, pot seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle, grow on individually for their first year, then plant out in late spring into nursery beds or final positions. For larger quantities, sow directly into an outdoor seedbed with protection from mice and other seed-eaters, and undercut the roots if plants are to remain in the seedbed for more than two years.

Other Uses

The wood is heavy, close-grained, hard, and tough, and is used for tool handles and similar purposes.

Notes

There are 200 or more Crataegus species.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Adman, Majoletas

References (11)

• Blamey, M and Grey-Wilson, C., 2005, Wild flowers of the Mediterranean. A & C Black London. p 76
• Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 295
• BOUQUET,
• Brickell, C. (Ed.), 1999, The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Convent Garden Books. p 313
• Coombes, A.J., 2000, Trees. Dorling Kindersley Handbooks. p 241

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