About Crataegus orientalis Pall. ex M.Bieb.
Crataegus orientalis, commonly called oriental hawthorn, is a hawthorn species native to the Mediterranean region, Turkey, Caucasia, Crimea, and western Iran. Its fruits are orange or come in various shades of red, and the species is highly variable. In his monograph, Knud Ib Christensen divided this species into four subspecies: Crataegus orientalis subsp. orientalis; C. orientalis subsp. pojarkovae (Kossych) Byatt, which produces orange fruit; C. orientalis subsp. presliana K.I.Chr.; and C. orientalis subsp. szovitsii (Pojarkova) K.I.Chr. In Caucasia, the fruits of this species are eaten raw or processed into a type of sweet bread.
