Crataegus azarolus

Crataegus azarolus is a species of hawthorn known by the common names azarole, azerole, and Mediterranean medlar. It is native to the Mediterranean Basin and is a common plant there, growing on sites comparable to those the European common hawthorn grows on. In the Arab countries it is the commonest of the hawthorn species. When growing in the wild the azerole bears plentiful crops of haw fruits, which are similar to the haws of the European common hawthorn, but plumper.

Crataegus azarolus
C. azarolus var. aronia in bloom
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Plantae
(unranked):
Angiosperms
(unranked):
Eudicots
(unranked):
Rosids
Order:
Rosales
Family:
Rosaceae
Genus:
Crataegus
Series:
Orientales

Species:
C. azarolus
Binomial name
Crataegus azarolus
Synonyms

Crataegus aronia Bosc non Decne.[2]

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

C. azarolus has been used historically for a number of medicinal purposes.[3]

  • Fruit of Crataegus azarolus
  • Blossoms of the Crataegus azarolus var. aronia
  • Orange and yellow azarole fruits displayed alongside common haws, sloes and jujubes.
  • Botanical illustration from Duhamel du Monceau, H.L. 1768. Traité des arbres fruitiers
  • Crataegus azarolus var. aronia in bloom

References
  1. Christensen, Knud Ib (1992). Revision of Crataegus sect. Crataegus and nothosect. Crataeguineae (Rosaceae-Maloideae) in the Old World. American Society of Plant Taxonomists. ISBN 978-0-912861-35-7.
  2. Plants for a Future PFAF (page 1)
  3. Ljubuncic, Predrag; Portnaya, Irina; Cogan, Uri; Azaizeh, Hassan; Bomzon, Arieh (2005). "Antioxidant activity of Crataegus aronia aqueous extract used in traditional Arab medicine in Israel". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 101 (1): 153–161. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2005.04.024. PMID 15970411.

Further reading
  • Hadjimitsi, E.; I. Zabetakis (2005). "The aroma of jam prepared from fruits of mosphilla (Crataegus azarolus)". Flavour and Fragrance Journal. 20 (5): 507–511. doi:10.1002/ffj.1476.
  • Phipps, J.B.; O’Kennon, R.J.; Lance, R.W. (2003). Hawthorns and medlars. Cambridge, U.K.: Royal Horticultural Society. ISBN 978-0881925913.

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