1 68 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



resembles Pynis Aria. It is of hybrid origin, one parent being either that species or 

 Pyrus intermedia, while the other is Pyrus Chamcemespilus. It is distinguished 

 from Pyrus Aria by the larger and more irregular teeth of the leaves (cf. Plate 44), 

 and its flowers are pinkish white, borne in loose corymbs. Various intermediate 

 forms have been distinguished, as 



Sorbus ambigua, Michalet, Exactly intermediate between Pyrus Aria and 

 Pyrus Chamcemespilus, with the leaves larger than in the second, and smaller than in 

 the first, and the margins having a tendency to lobing. Tomentum whitish. 



Sorbus arioides, Michalet. A form intermediate between ambigua and Aria. 



Chamcemespilus x Mougeoti. Leaf large, with lobes well marked and rounded ; 

 tomentum greyish. These hybrids are common in the Jura and the Alps. 



Distribution 



The whitebeam is a wide-spread species. It occurs throughout Europe 

 generally, reaching in Norway as far north as lat. 63 52', and in Sweden to laL 

 59. It is met with also in Algeria, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Armenia, Siberia, 

 and Central China, assuming in some of these regions remarkable varietal forms. It 

 is replaced in the Himalayas and Japan by Pyrus lanata, Don, an allied species. 



While it occurs on all soils except those which are wet, it has a decided 

 preference for limestone. In woods and hedges it grows to be a small tree; but in 

 exposed situations on rocky mountains, etc. it dwindles to a mere bush. On the 

 Alps it ascends to 4800 feet 



In the British Isles its distribution has not been accurately made out, as many 

 supposed records refer rather to intermedia or latifolia. Apparently, however, as a 

 wild tree, the typical form is almost entirely confined to the southern and midland 

 counties of England and to south Wales. Variety rupicola is recorded from nearly 

 every county from Devon to Sutherland, and is widely spread on the littoral range 

 between Lancaster and Humphrey Head, ascending in Banffshire to 1200 or 1400 

 feet, where it has been found by Dr. Shoolbred of Chepstow on limestone cliffs near 

 Inchrory in upper Banffshire. In Ireland the whitebeam is rare and local, and 

 both the type and rupicola occur. (A. H.) 



Remarkable Trees 



By far the finest specimen that we know of in England or elsewhere grows on 

 the edge of Camp Wood, near Henley on Thames, on Sir Walter Phillimore's 

 property, where Henry saw it in 1905. It measures 75 feet high by 4 feet 9 inches 

 in girth, with a bole about 35 feet long, and has very smooth beech-like bark 

 (Plate 51). 



There is a large and very well shaped tree at Walcot, Shropshire, which in 

 1906 Elwes found to be 56 feet high and 6^ feet in girth, with a clean bole about 20 

 feet long. 



I 



