What is "crataegus azarolus"

Medlar \Med"lar\, n. [OE. medler medlar tree, OF. meslier, F. n['e]flier, L. mespilum, mespilus, Gr. ?, ?. Cf. Naseberry.] A tree of the genus Mespilus ( Mespilus Germanica); also, the fruit of the tree. The fruit is something like a small apple, but has a bony endocarp. When first gathered the flesh is hard and austere, and it is not eaten until it has begun to decay.

Japan medlar (Bot.), the loquat. See Loquat.

Neapolitan medlar (Bot.), a kind of thorn tree ( Crat[ae]gus Azarolus); also, its fruit.

Azarole \Az"a*role\, n. [F. azerole, the name of the fruit, fr. Ar. az-zo'r?r: cf. It. azzeruolo, Sp. acerolo.] (Bot.) The Neapolitan medlar ( Crat[ae]gus azarolus), a shrub of southern Europe; also, its fruit.

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 Arabic-speaking countries it is the commonest of the hawthorn species; in the Arabic language the term "common hawthorn" means the azarole hawthorn. 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.

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