Rowan

"Mountain-ash" and "Quicken Tree" redirect here. For the Australian mountain ash, see Eucalyptus regnans. For the racehorse, see Quicken Tree (horse). For other uses, see Rowan (disambiguation).

Rowan
Cluster of small red fruits on a branch with foliage
European rowan fruit
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Subtribe: Malinae
Genus: Sorbus
L.
Species
Synonyms
  • Aucuparia Rivinus ex Medik.
  • × Sorbotoraria Mezhenskyj

The rowans (/ˈraʊənz/ ROW-ənz or /ˈroʊənz/ ROH-ənz)[1] 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.[2] The name rowan was originally applied to the species Sorbus aucuparia and is also used for other species in the genus Sorbus.[3]

Natural hybrids, often including S. aucuparia and the whitebeam, Aria edulis (syn. Sorbus aria),[4] give rise to many endemic variants in the UK.[5]

  1. ^ "rowan noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at". Oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  2. ^ Rushforth, K. (1999). Trees of Britain and Europe. Collins ISBN 0-00-220013-9.
  3. ^ McAllister, H.A. 2005. The genus Sorbus: Mountain Ash and other Rowans . Kew Publishing.
  4. ^ "Sorbus aria (L.) Crantz | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online.
  5. ^ "Cambridge Botanic Garden: the Genus Sorbus". Botanic.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 2018-07-12.