3194 



SORBARIA 



SORBUS 



15-21, lanceolate, long-acuminate, rounded or nearly so 

 at the base, doubly serrate, with simple hairs beneath 

 when young, 3-4 in. long: panicles 8-12 in. long and 

 about 8 in. broad; fls. J^in. across; stamens as long as 

 petals or shorter. July, Aug. Himalayas, China. F.S. 

 2:108. B.R. 31:33. Gn. 47, p. 222: 49, p. 229; 55, 

 p. 116; 77, p. 487; 78, p. 126. G.C. III. 43:415. G. 

 33:507. 



arbor ea, Schneid. (Spiraea arborea, Bean). Shrub, to 

 20 ft.: Ifts. 13-15, ovate-oblong to lanceolate, long- 

 acuminate, usually broadly cuneate at the base, stellate- 

 pubescent or nearly glabrous beneath, l%-3}4 in. long: 

 panicles 8-12 in. long, 6-8 in. wide: fls. M~H m - across; 

 stamens much longer than petals. July, Aug. Cent. 

 China. Gn. 77. p. 424. GM. 61:603. G. 35:697. Var. 

 glabrata, Rehd. Lfts. usually lanceolate or narrow- 

 lanceolate, quite glabrous beneath: branchlets and 

 petioles often purple, glabrous: stamens 2-3 times as 

 long as petals. Cent, and W. China. This is the hand- 

 somest variety and resembles somewhat S. Aitchisonii. 

 Var. subtomentdsa, Rehd. Lfts. usually elliptic to 

 oblong-lanceolate, densely stellate-pubescent or tomen- 

 tose beneath, with close-set veins: branchlets and 

 petioles pubescent. 



AA. Lfts. simply or indistinctly doubly serrate, %in. or 



less wide, 



Aitchisonii, Hemsl. (Spirxa angustifdlia, Zabel. S- 

 Aitchisonii, Hemsl. S. sorbifolia var. angustifolia, 

 Wenzig). Shrub, 6-8 ft. high, with upright or ascend- 

 ing, little-branched, glabrous sts. usually bright red 

 when young: Ifts. 15-21, lanceolate to linear-lanceo- 

 late, acuminate, narrowed at the base, simply or 

 obscurely doubly serrate, glabrous, 2-4 in. long: pani- 

 cles to 12 in. long and to 6 in. broad, with spreading 

 ramifications, leafy at the base; fls. Hin. or more 

 across. July-Sept. Afghanistan, Kashmir. G.C. III. 

 28:255; 38:114; 43:397. G. 27:441; 31:455; 34:639. 

 GM. 49:42. Gn.M. 9:75. Gn. 68, p. 143; 77, p. 560. 

 M.D.G. 1901:18. A very desirable shrub with hand- 

 some graceful foliage. 



S. grandifldra, Maxim. (Spiraea grandiflora, Sweet. Spiraea sorbi- 

 folia alpina, Pallas). Allied to S. sorbifolia. One to 3 ft. high: Ivs. 

 glabrous: panicles 3-5 in. long; fls. J^in. across. S. Siberia. Gt. 9: 295. 

 S. Kirildwii, Maxim. (Spiraea Kirilowii, Regel). Allied to S. sor- 

 bifolia. Shrub, 5-10 ft.: Ifts. 12-19, glabrous: panicle broadly 

 pyramidal; stamens as long as corolla: fr. with the style much below 

 the apex. N. China. S. Millefdlium, Focke=Chama3batiaria 



ALFRED REHDER. 



SORBUS (ancient Latin name of S. domestica). In- 

 cluding Aria, C6rmus, Micromeles, and Tormindria. 

 Rosacese. Ornamental woody plants grown for their 

 handsome foliage, attractive white flowers and orna- 

 mental usually red fruit. 



Deciduous trees or shrubs: Ivs. alternate, stipulate, 

 simple and serrate or odd-pinnate, folded or rarely 

 convolute in the bud: fls. in compound corymbs; sepals 

 and petals 5; stamens 15-20, with red or yellow anthers; 

 carpels 2-5, either partly free above and half superior 

 or wholly connate and quite inferior; styles free or con- 

 nate at the base : fr. a 2-5-loculed pome, usually rather 

 small; the cells with cartilaginous or leathery walls, 

 each with 1 or 2 seeds. Closely allied and often referred 

 to Pyrus, from which it is chiefly distinguished by its 

 compound infl. and by the fls. being in most species 

 more or less perigynous; the frs. are usually smaller and 

 berry-like. About 80 species distributed throughout 

 the northern hemisphere, in N. Amer., south to N. C. 

 and New Mex., in Asia south to the Himalayas. The 

 frs. of some species, as S. domestica, S. torminalis, S. 

 Aucuparia var. didcis and var. rossica are edible and 

 are made into preserves in Europe; the strong and 

 close-grained wood of S. torminalis and S. domestica is 

 used for handles of tools and for similar small articles. 



The sorbuses are handsome trees or shrubs with 

 graceful pinnate or with simple foliage sometimes silvery 

 white beneath, and with showy clusters of small white 



rarely pinkish flowers in spring, followed by red or rarely 

 whitish or brown fruits usually berry-like, rarely larger 

 and apple- or pear-shaped. Most of the pinnate- 

 leaved kinds are hardy North except some Asiatic 

 species and S. domestica, which seem tender north of 

 Massachusetts; they are chiefly inhabitants of moun- 

 tainous regions, and the northern species, as S. americana 

 and S. decora, do not thrive well in warmer and drier 

 climates, while the simple-leaved species, as S. alni- 

 folia, S. intermedia, S. Aria, and S. torminalis, endure 

 drought and heat well and have proved hardy at least 

 as far north as Massachusetts. The trees are often 

 attacked by borers. Propagation is by seeds sown in fall 

 or stratified, also by layers. Varieties and rarer kinds 

 are usually budded or grafted on allied species, but most 

 kinds will grow on S. Aucuparia or S. americana and 

 on hawthorn. They all have handsome foliage, which 

 usually turns orange-red in fall; their fruits are showy 

 and often remain on the branches the whole winter if 

 not eaten by birds. They are not particular as to the 

 soil and are well suited for planting on rocky hillsides. 

 Those of the Aucuparia group are more adapted for 

 cool and moist mountain regions; those of the Aria and 

 Torminaria group, which grow especially well on lime- 

 stone soil, are suited to warmer and drier climates. 

 S. hybrida is sometimes used as a small-sized avenue 

 tree on account of its regular pyramidal habit. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



A. Foliage pinnate. 



B. Lvs. regularly pinnate, with the If Is. 



of almost equal size. 

 c. Frs. small, %%in. across, or 



slightly larger, berry-like. 

 D. Lfts. 9-17, %-4 in. long. 



E. Winter buds glutinous, gla- 

 brous or sparingly op- 

 pressed, rusty-pubescent. 

 F. Fls. }4-% in.: Ifts. long- 

 acuminate: fr. K~M in. 



across 1. americana 



FF. Fls. l A-^Ain. across: Ifts. 

 acute or obtusish: fr. 



about %in. across 2. decora 



EE. Winter buds covered with 



white villous tomentum. 

 F. Young branchlets and Ivs. 



pubescent 3. Aucuparia 



FF. Young branchlets and Ivs. 



glabrous 4. tianschanica 



DD. Lfts. 19-29, l /T-V\in. long 5. Vilmorinii 



cc. Frs. Yiin. or more across, apple- 

 or pear-shaped, with grit-cells: 



styles 5 6. domestica 



BB. Lvs. only pinnate toward the base, 

 lobed or only serrate in the upper 

 part, varying much on the same 

 plant and occasionally only lobed. 

 Hybrids. 



