Sorbus aucuparia (Rowan or European Rowan), is a species of the genus Sorbus (subgenus Sorbus), native to most of Europe except for the far south, and northern Asia. In the south of its range in the Mediterranean region it is confined to high altitudes in mountains.^[1][2]

Leaves and flowers

It is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree typically growing to 8?10 m tall, more rarely 20 m, and exceptionally to 28 m.^[5] The bark is smooth, silvery grey of young trees, becoming scaly pale grey-brown and occasionally fissured on old trees. The shoots are green and variably hairy at first, becoming grey-brown and hairless; the buds are conspicuous, purple-brown, and often densely hairy. The leaves are pinnate, 10?22 cm long and 612 cm broad, with 9?19 (most often 13?15) leaflets; each leaflet is 3?7 cm long and 15?23 mm broad, with a coarsely serrated margin; they are variably hairy, particularly the petiole and leaf veins on the underside. The hermaphrodite flowers are produced in large terminal corymbs 8?15 cm diameter with up to 250 flowers, the individual flowers 1 cm diameter, with five creamy-white petals, and are insect pollinated. The fruit is a small pome 6?9 mm (rarely up to 14 mm) diameter, green at first, ripening bright red in late summer, and containing up to eight (most commonly two) small seeds. It is diploid, with a chromosome count of 2n=34.^[1][6][7]

Five subspecies are recognised:^[8][1][2]

• Sorbus aucuparia subsp. aucuparia. Temperate Europe and northwest Asia, south to central Spain, central Italy, and northernmost Greece, and east to the Ob and Irtysh rivers. Tree form; leaves and shoots hairy.
• Sorbus aucuparia subsp. fenenkiana T.Georgiev & Stoj. Bulgaria (endemic).
• Sorbus aucuparia subsp. glabrata (Wimm. & Grab.) Cajander. (syn. S. glabrata (Wimm. & Grab.) Hedl.). Subarctic regions, from Iceland, northernmost Scotland (Orkney, Shetland), northern Scandinavia, northwest Russia, and also locally at tree line in central Europe in the Alps and Carpathians. Shrubby; leaves and shoots less hairy.
• Sorbus aucuparia subsp. praemorsa (Guss.) Nyman. High altitudes in the Mediterranean region in France (Corsica) and Italy (Sicily and Calabria).
• Sorbus aucuparia subsp. sibirica (Hedl.) Krylov (syn. S. sibirica Hedl.). Temperate northern Asia, east of the Ob and Irtysh rivers. Tree form; leaves and shoots hairless.

Ecology

Leaves and ripe fruit

It is very tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions, including thin acid soils and cracks in cliffs. It also fairly frequently grows as an epiphyte in clefts or cavities of larger trees such as Scots Pines, though epiphytic specimens rarely have growing conditions adequate for them to reach maturity.^[6]

The fruit is an important food resource for many birds, notably Redwings, Fieldfares, Blackbirds, Mistle Thrushes and Waxwings, which in turn disperse the seeds in their droppings. The seeds are eaten by Pine Grosbeaks and other large finches.^[10]

The foliage and bark is eaten by Red Deer, Roe Deer, and Mountain Hares, and a small number of insect larvae, including leaf-miners in the genus Stigmella, and the moth Venusia cambrica. The snail Helix aspersa also feeds on the leaves.^[6]

Cultivation and uses

Rowan pomes ("berries")

The fruit, called rowan berries in culinary usage, are usually very bitter and inedible fresh, but are used to make jam or jelly, with a distinctive bitter flavour. Rowan jelly is a traditional accompaniment to game and venison.^[11] The cultivar 'Edulis' has been selected for its less bitter fruit.^[1]

In the United Kingdom, where it is often known as the wiggen tree, the Mountain Ash has traditionally been used as an anti-witching device. ^{[12] [13]}

References

az:Qu?armudu da:Almindelig Rřn de:Vogelbeere et:Harilik pihlakas es:Sorbus aucuparia fr:Sorbier des oiseleurs gl:Capudre hsb:W??dna wjerjebina hr:Jarebika it:Sorbus aucuparia lt:Paprastasis ?ermuk?nis hu:Madárberkenye nl:Wilde lijsterbes no:Rogn nn:Rogn pl:Jarz?b pospolity pt:Sorbus aucuparia ru:?????? ???????????? sk:Jarabina vtá?ia sl:Jerebika fi:Kotipihlaja sv:Rönn uk:???????? ????????

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