(Crataegus laevigata (Poir.) DC.)
Habitus
- most often as a low shrub to a small tree 3 - 5 m tall
- crown is hemispherical, irregular
- bark is grey, plate-like fissured
Leaves (assimilation organs)
- the leaves are simple, pinnately lobed, divided into 3 - 5 shallow lobes, 1.5 - 6 x 1 - 5 cm large
- in the basic outline, they are obovate to round, serrate along the margin
- the petiole is 8 - 15 mm long
Flowers
- it is a monoecious tree with bisexual flowers, white to pinkish
- it blooms in May
Fruits – seeds
- the fruit is an 8 - 12 mm long ellipsoid to broadly ovoid red capsule
- it contains 2 - 3 ! about 5 mm long, hemispherical, brownish seeds with 2 - 3 ribs
Extension
- originally from western to southern Europe
- in Slovakia mainly on shrubby and rocky slopes in lighter deciduous forests
- on the borders from the lowlands to the mountain range
Ecology
- it is a semi-shaded woody plant, grows on heavier soils
Significance
- it is used in hedges
- as a solitary ornamental with flowers and in autumn with fruits
- it is a fruit-bearing woody plant
