{{short description|Mediterranean species of flowering plant}} {{Speciesbox |status = LC |status_system = IUCN3.1 |status_ref = <ref name=iucn/> |image = Hawthorn in blossom.jpg |image_caption = ''C. azarolus'' var. ''aronia'' in bloom |taxon = Crataegus azarolus |authority = L.<ref name=POWO/> |synonyms = {{Species list | Mespilus azarolus | (L.) Duhamel | Oxyacantha azarolus | (L.) Bubani | Pyrus azarolus | (L.) Scop. }} |synonyms_ref = <ref name=POWO/> }}

'''''Crataegus azarolus''''' is a species of hawthorn known by the common names '''azarole''', '''azerole''' (from {{langx|ar|الزُّعرُورَة|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<ref name=KIC/> uses four varieties: *''C. azarolus'' var. ''azarolus'' has orange fruit. *''C. azarolus'' var. ''aronia'' {{small|L.}}, has yellowish fruit often with some red tinges *''C. azarolus'' var. ''chlorocarpa'' {{small|(Moris) K.I.Chr.}} has yellowish fruit *''C. azarolus'' var. ''pontica'' {{small|(K.Koch) K.I.Chr.}} has yellowish or orange fruit

''C. azarolus'' has been used historically for a number of medicinal purposes.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Ljubuncic |first=Predrag |last2=Portnaya |first2=Irina |last3=Cogan |first3=Uri |last4=Azaizeh |first4=Hassan |last5=Bomzon |first5=Arieh |year=2005 |title=Antioxidant activity of ''Crataegus aronia'' aqueous extract used in traditional Arab medicine in Israel |journal=Journal of Ethnopharmacology |volume=101 |issue=1 |pages=153–161 |doi=10.1016/j.jep.2005.04.024 |pmid=15970411 }}</ref>

==Gallery== <gallery> File:Crataegus azarolus HRM.jpg|Fruit of ''Crataegus azarolus'' File:Hawthorn (Crataegus aronia).jpg|Blossoms of the ''Crataegus azarolus'' var. ''aronia'' File:Frutos del otono.jpg|Orange and yellow azarole fruits displayed alongside common haws, sloes and jujubes. File:Crataegus azarolus.jpg|Botanical illustration from Duhamel du Monceau, H.L. 1768. ''Traité des arbres fruitiers'' File:Hawthorn blossoms (Crataegus aronia).jpg|''Crataegus azarolus'' var. ''aronia'' in bloom </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist|refs= <ref name=iucn>{{Cite iucn |title=''Crataegus azarolus'' |author=Allen, D.J. & Barstow, M. |name-list-style=amp |article-number= e.T33987A68135981 |date=2017 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T33987A68135981.en |access-date=31 May 2024}}</ref>

<ref name=POWO>{{cite POWO |title=''Crataegus azarolus'' L. |id=324722-2 |access-date=22 February 2025}}</ref>

<ref name=KIC>{{cite book |first=Knud Ib |last=Christensen |title=Revision of ''Crataegus'' sect. ''Crataegus'' and nothosect. ''Crataeguineae'' (Rosaceae-Maloideae) in the Old World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vz0lAQAAMAAJ |year=1992 |publisher=American Society of Plant Taxonomists |isbn=978-0-912861-35-7}}</ref> }}

==Further reading== *{{Cite journal |author1=Hadjimitsi, E. |author2=I. Zabetakis |year=2005 |title=The aroma of jam prepared from fruits of mosphilla (''Crataegus azarolus'') |journal=Flavour and Fragrance Journal |volume=20 |issue=5 |pages=507–511 |doi=10.1002/ffj.1476}} *{{cite book |last=Phipps |first=J.B. |last2=O'Kennon |first2=R.J. |last3=Lance |first3=R.W. |year=2003 |title=Hawthorns and medlars |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society |location=Cambridge, U.K. |isbn=978-0-88192-591-3 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/hawthornsmedlars00jame }} {{Commons category-inline}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q793606}}

azarolus Category:Flora of Western Asia Category:Flora of the Mediterranean basin Category:Trees of Mediterranean climate Category:Garden plants of Europe Category:Bird food plants Category:Ornamental trees Category:Plants described in 1753 Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Crataegus-stub}}