Style and locule number varies from one to five, but some individuals may produce some flowers lacking gynoecia altogether. Within each locule the two ovules are superposed, so that only the micropyle of the lower one is associated with the funicular obturator. The polypyrenous drupes of Crataegus can be an important food source for wildlife, including grouse, pheasant, pine grosbeak, fox sparrow, gray fox, pine mouse, and white-tailed deer. Hawthorn fruits are also used in herbal remedies for circulatory system problems because of their flavonoid content. Open-pollinated fruits typically contain only a single filled seed, regardless of pyrene number.
Seeds require cold stratification to germinate.
Click HERE to link to a page describing current studies of Crataegus and Mespilus evolution and systematics. Click HERE to link to a brief report on recent studies of nuclear DNA sequence variation in Crataegus and Mespilus. The significance of hawthorns. Hedges and local history. Crataegus L. Seeds of woody plants in the United States.