Torminalis glaberrima | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Rosaceae |
Genus: | Torminalis Medik. |
Species: | T. glaberrima |
Binomial name | |
Torminalis glaberrima (Gand.) Sennikov & Kurtto | |
Synonyms [2] | |
List (Genus)
(Species)
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Torminalis is a genus of plants in the rose family, Rosaceae. [2] The genus was formerly included within the genus Sorbus as the section Torminaria, but the simple-leafed species traditionally classified in Sorbus are now considered to form a separate monophyletic group. [3] It is monotypic, being represented by the single species Torminalis glaberrima, commonly known as wild service tree, chequers, and checker tree. [4] This tree is native to Europe, parts of northern Africa and western Asia.
A possible second species in the genus has been identified through DNA analysis, but a new scientific description for it has not yet been written. [5]
Torminalis glaberrima is a medium-sized deciduous tree growing to 15–25 metres (49–82 feet) tall, with a trunk up to 1.3 m (4+1⁄2 ft) in diameter. The bark is smooth and grayish, but flaky, peeling away in squarish plates to reveal darker brown layers. The leaves are 6–14 centimetres (2–6 inches) long and broad with a 2.5–5 cm (1–2 in) petiole, dark green on both sides, with five to nine acute lobes; the basal pair of lobes are spreading, the rest more forward-pointing and decreasing in size to the leaf apex, and with finely toothed margins; the undersides have small hairs when young, but both sides are smooth and shiny when older; the autumn colour is yellow to red-brown. The flowers are 10–15 millimetres (3⁄8–5⁄8 in) in diameter, with five white petals and 20 creamy-white stamens; they are produced in corymbs 5–12 cm (2–4+1⁄2 in) diameter in late spring to early summer, and are hermaphroditic and insect pollinated. The fruit is a globose to ovoid pome 10–15 mm in diameter, greenish to russet or brown, patterned with small pale lenticel spots when mature in mid to late autumn. [6] [7] [8]
The genus Torminalis was formerly included within the genus Sorbus , as the section Torminaria, but the simple-leafed species traditionally classified in Sorbus are now considered to form a separate monophyletic group. [3]
Torminalis glaberrima is a sexually reproducing diploid species that forms diploid and polyploid hybrids with members of the genus Aria (whitebeams). [9] A number of often very localised stable apomictic polyploid species of ultimately hybrid origin between Sorbus torminalis and various species in the genus Aria occur in Europe, including Sorbus latifolia (service tree of Fontainebleau), and S. bristoliensis (Bristol whitebeam). [6] They are now classified as the Karpatiosorbus genus.
The tree's Latin name, torminalis, means "good for colic".
The name "chequers" may have been derived from the ancient symbol of a pub being the chequer-board (as the fruit were once used to flavour beer) [10] or the spotted pattern of the fruit, [11] though some suggest it comes from the pattern of the bark on old trees.[ citation needed ]
It is found from Great Britain (England and Wales) east to Denmark and Poland, south to northwest Africa, and southeast to southwest Asia from Asia Minor to the Caucasus and Alborz mountains. [6]
The wild service tree favours deep fertile soils, but can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, from chalky, superficial, dry soils to temporarily waterlogged soils, often found alongside the true service tree. It can adapt to a variety of climatic conditions, but occurs most often in lowlands. Wild service tree is a light-demanding species, often out-competed by other hardwood species. [12]
It is relatively rare and in Britain is now usually confined to pockets of ancient woodland, although it can also be found growing in hedgerows. It can often be found associated with oak and ash woods, preferring clay and lime based soils. In Britain, summer temperatures are often too low for the seeds to ripen, so its principal method of propagation is by suckers. [6]
The fruits are eaten by many birds and a few mammals, making the tree ecologically important. [12]
The wild service tree is one of the most valuable hardwoods in Europe. The wood is fine-grained, very dense and has good bending strength. It was used in the past to make screws for winepresses, billiard cue sticks, musical instruments and turnery. Today, it is usually only used for decorative veneers. [12]
The fruit, sometimes called "chequers", are edible and taste similar to dates, although they are now rarely collected for food. They are usually too astringent to eat until they are over-ripe and bletted. They were traditionally known as a herbal remedy for colic. Before the introduction of hops, the fruit were used to flavour beer. [10]
The MaloideaeC.Weber was the apple subfamily, a grouping used by some taxonomists within the rose family, Rosaceae. Recent molecular phylogenetic evidence has shown that the traditional Spiraeoideae and Amygdaloideae form part of the same clade as the traditional Maloideae, and the correct name for this group is Amygdaloideae. Earlier circumscriptions of Maloideae are more-or-less equivalent to subtribe Malinae or to tribe Maleae. The group includes a number of plants bearing commercially important fruits, such as apples and pears, while others are cultivated as ornamentals.
The rowans or mountain-ashes are shrubs or trees in the genus Sorbus of the rose family, Rosaceae. They are native throughout the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in the Himalaya, southern Tibet and parts of western China, where numerous apomictic microspecies occur. The name rowan was originally applied to the species Sorbus aucuparia and is also used for other species in the genus Sorbus.
Sorbus is a genus of over 100 species of trees and shrubs in the rose family, Rosaceae. Species of Sorbus (s.l.) are commonly known as whitebeam, rowan, mountain-ash and service tree. The exact number of species is disputed depending on the circumscription of the genus, and also due to the number of apomictic microspecies, which some treat as distinct species, but others group in a smaller number of variable species. Recent treatments classify Sorbus in a narrower sense to include only the pinnate leaved species of subgenus Sorbus, raising several of the other subgenera to generic rank.
The whitebeams are members of the family Rosaceae, comprising the genus Aria. They are deciduous trees with simple or lobed leaves, arranged alternately. They are related to the rowans, and many of the endemic restricted-range apomictic microspecies of whitebeam in Europe are thought to derive from hybrids between the common whitebeam and the European rowan. Some are also thought to be hybrids with the wild service tree, and the service tree of Fontainebleau found in French woodlands.
Cormus domestica, commonly known as service tree or sorb tree, is a species of tree native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia. It may be called true service tree, to distinguish it from wild service tree. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Cormus.
Chamaemespilus is a genus of shrubs in the family Rosaceae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species Chamaemespilus alpina, commonly known as false medlar or dwarf whitebeam. It is native to the mountains of central and southern Europe, from the Pyrenees east through the Alps to the Carpathians and the Balkans, growing at elevations of up to 2500 m.
Karpatiosorbus latifolia is a species of whitebeam that is endemic to the area around Fontainebleau, south of Paris in France, where it has been known since the early eighteenth century.
Hedlundia anglica, the English whitebeam, is a species of whitebeam tree in the family Rosaceae. It is endemic to Ireland and the United Kingdom, with an entire British population estimated at 600 individuals.
Aria wilmottiana, commonly known as Willmott's whitebeam, is a species of whitebeam in the family Rosaceae. It is endemic to England, and is found in the Avon Gorge, in Somerset and Gloucestershire. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Aria edulis, the whitebeam or common whitebeam, is a species of deciduous tree in the family Rosaceae.
Scandosorbus intermedia or, formerly, Sorbus intermedia, the Swedish whitebeam, is a species of whitebeam found in southern Sweden, with scattered occurrences in Estonia, Latvia, easternmost Denmark (Bornholm), the far southwest of Finland, and northern Poland.
Hedlundia hybrida, the Swedish service-treeFinnish whitebeam, or oakleaf mountain ash, is a species of whitebeam native to Norway, eastern Sweden, south-western Finland, and locally in Latvia.
Alniaria alnifolia, also called alder-leafed whitebeam, Korean whitebeam, or Korean mountain ash, Korean: 팥배나무; RR: Patbaenamu; MR: p'atpaenamu; lit. 'red bean pear tree' Chinese: 水榆花楸; pinyin: shui yu hua qiu; lit. 'water elm rowan', is a species of whitebeam native to eastern Asia in eastern and northern China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan.
Sorbus mougeotii, the Vosges whitebeam or Mougeot's whitebeam, is a species of whitebeam native to the mountains of central and western Europe from the Pyrenees east through the Alps to Austria, and north to the Vosges Mountains.
Karpatiosorbus devoniensis is known by the English name of Devon whitebeam and formally as Broad-leaved Whitebeam. When the fruit was reported as sold at Barnstaple Pannier Market the name French Eagles was used, apart from 1929 when they were reported as eagle-berries. When the trees were reported as seen growing wild on botanical walks they were referred to as French Hails. Broad-leaved white-beam, which was the common name until Devon Whitebeam took over, was used once in 1907.
The Maleae are the apple tribe in the rose family, Rosaceae. The group includes a number of plants bearing commercially important fruits, such as apples and pears, while others are cultivated as ornamentals. Older taxonomies separated some of this group as tribe Crataegeae, as the Cydonia group, or some genera were placed in family Quillajaceae.
Malinae is the name for the apple subtribe in the rose family, Rosaceae. This name is required by the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, which came into force in 2011 for any group at the subtribe rank that includes the genus Malus but not either of the genera Rosa or Amygdalus. The group includes a number of plants bearing commercially important fruits, such as apples and pears, while others are cultivated as ornamentals.
Torminaria may refer to two different plant genera:
Hedlundia is a genus of plants in the rose family. They are shrubs or small trees that have a hybrid origin involving crosses between Aria and Sorbus sensu stricto. There are about 48 species are distributed across central, western and southern Europe, Scandinavia, Turkey, the Caucasus, Crimea, and also central Asia. The term Hedlundia was published in 2017.
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