Crataegus azarolus

Mediterranean species of flowering plant

Crataegus azarolus

C. azarolus var. aronia in bloom
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Crataegus
Species:	C. azarolus
Binomial name
*Crataegus azarolus* L.
Synonyms^[1]
Crataegus aronia Bosc non Decne.

Crataegus azarolus is a species of hawthorn known by the common names azarole, azerole (from Arabic: الزُّعرُورَة, romanized: az-zu'rūra) 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 most common 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 more plump.

C. azarolus is often divided into subspecies or varieties, for example Christensen in his monograph^[2] 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]

Gallery

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

^ Plants for a Future PFAF (page 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.
^ 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.