rowan

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• European mountain-ash
• dogberry
• rowan
• rowan tree
• Mountain Ash
• Quicken-tree
• quickbeam
• rowan-berry

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Pyrus aucuparia
• Pyrenia aucuparia
• Mespilus aucuparia
• Crataegus aucuparia
• Aucuparia silvestris

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. Under the subclass Magnoliidae, it is classified in the order Rosales and the family Rosaceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Sorbus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is widely distributed across several regions within Northern Europe. It can be found growing in the natural landscapes of Denmark and Finland. Additionally, its presence is well-established throughout the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. The species also extends its range to the rugged terrain of Iceland. Together, these locations define its specific geographical footprint across the northern part of the continent.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Sorbus aucuparia is characterized by its preference for common birch forests, where it is most frequently found growing along river valleys. This species occupies a broad altitudinal spectrum, typically ranging from a minimum elevation of 900 m AMSL to a maximum of 3600 m AMSL, with a mean elevation of approximately 1700 m AMSL.

Elevational range max:

3600 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

1700 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

900 m AMSL

Habitat :

common birch forests, mostly along river valleys

Life history

The life history of Sorbus aucuparia is characterized by its existence as a perennial species, meaning it lives for many years and completes its reproductive cycle over multiple growing seasons. As a phanerophyte, its perennating buds are located high above the ground on woody branches, a structural adaptation that allows it to thrive in various forest environments. This species is strictly deciduous, shedding its foliage annually in response to seasonal changes, which facilitates nutrient conservation during the dormant winter period. Through its growth stages, it maintains a robust woody architecture typical of its phanerophyte life form, ensuring long-term survival and persistence in its natural habitat.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Sorbus aucuparia is characterized by its growth form as a woody tree, which functions as a self-supporting, independent organism. As a terrestrial species, it does not exhibit aquatic, semiaquatic, or epiphytic tendencies. The plant features an erect shoot orientation and typically reaches a plant height ranging from a minimum of 1 m to a maximum of 15 m, with an average height of approximately 11 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

15 m

Plant height mean:

11 m

Plant height min:

1 m

Shoot orientation :

erect

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Sorbus aucuparia is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, reflecting its adaptation to temperate environments where carbon fixation occurs through the standard Calvin cycle. As a non-carnivorous species, it relies on soil-based nutrient uptake and does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic mechanisms to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms. The plant's leaf morphology plays a significant role in its resource management, exhibiting a mean leaf length of 4 cm (ranging from a minimum of 3 cm to a maximum of 6.7 cm) and a mean leaf width of 1.4 cm (ranging from a minimum of 1.4 cm to a maximum of 1.8 cm), resulting in a mean leaf size of approximately 6.3705 cm². Furthermore, the plant maintains a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 144.48 cm²/g, a physiological metric that indicates the efficiency of its leaf mass in relation to its surface area for light interception and gas exchange.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf length max:

6.7 cm

Leaf length mean:

4 cm

Leaf length min:

3 cm

Leaf size mean:

6.3705 cm²

Leaf width max:

1.8 cm

Leaf width mean:

1.4 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

144.48 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Sorbus aucuparia is primarily sexual, utilizing bisexual flowers that facilitate genetic diversity. The flowering period typically commences in June and extends through July. During this stage, the plant relies on biotic pollination syndromes, specifically involving insects, to ensure successful fertilization, as self-fertilization is noted to be absent. Following pollination, the plant develops fleshy, indehiscent fruits classified as berries. These fruits generally measure between 0.6 cm and 0.85 cm in length and maintain a width ranging from 0.6 cm to 0.8 cm. The dispersal of the plant is characterized by a zoochorous syndrome, specifically endozoochory, where animals consume the fleshy fruit and disperse the seeds. The seeds themselves are quite small, with a mean mass of approximately 0.0297848834 g (ranging from a minimum of 0.00066 g to a maximum of 0.188 g) and a consistent seed volume of 3.4 mm³. No asexual reproduction methods are present for this species.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

endozoochorous

Flower length max:

0.8 cm

Flower length min:

0.6 cm

Flowering time :

Jun

Flowering time :

Jul

Fruit dryness :

fleshy

Fruit length max:

0.8 cm

Fruit length mean:

0.85 cm

Fruit length min:

0.6 cm

Fruit type :

berry

Fruit width max:

0.8 cm

Fruit width mean:

0.81 cm

Fruit width min:

0.6 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed mass max:

0.188 g

Seed mass mean:

0.0297848834 g

Seed mass min:

0.00066 g

Seed volume max:

3.4 mm³

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Sorbus aucuparia has 2 reported plant parts identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include fruit, leaf.

Fruit

1. Nutrients
2. Chemistry & biodiversity
3. Biomedical chromatography : BMC
4. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

Leaf

1. Acta poloniae pharmaceutica
2. Biomedical chromatography : BMC

Chemicals

Sorbus aucuparia has 25 reported phytochemicals identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include CHLOROGENIC ACID, Flavonoids, Cynarin, Proanthocyanidins, 2'-hydroxyaucuparin.

CHLOROGENIC ACID

1. Chemistry & biodiversity
2. Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.)
3. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

Flavonoids

1. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity
2. Acta poloniae pharmaceutica
3. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Cynarin

1. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity
2. Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.)

Proanthocyanidins

1. Chemistry & biodiversity
2. Acta poloniae pharmaceutica

2'-hydroxyaucuparin

1. BMC plant biology

4-Hydroxycoumarin

1. Plant molecular biology

Aucuparin

1. BMC plant biology

Biphenyl

1. BMC plant biology

CATECHIN

1. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity

D-allose

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Activities

Sorbus aucuparia has 4 reported activities identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antidiabetic, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Nephroprotective.

Antidiabetic

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antimicrobial

1. Biomedical chromatography : BMC

Antioxidant

1. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

Nephroprotective

1. Nutrients

Conditions

Sorbus aucuparia has 5 reported investigations on conditions identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include cancer, inflammation, nitro-oxidative stress, oxidative stress, urinary tract infections.

Cancer

1. Pharmaceutical biology

Inflammation

1. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity

Nitro-oxidative stress

1. Nutrients

Oxidative stress

1. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity

Urinary tract infections

1. Acta poloniae pharmaceutica

Preparations

Sorbus aucuparia has 5 reported preparations identified across 6 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Sorbus aucuparia extracts, Sorbus aucuparia fruit extracts, fruit extracts, leaf extracts, suspension cells(SASCs).

Sorbus aucuparia extracts

1. Nutrients

Sorbus aucuparia fruit extracts

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

Fruit extracts

1. Biomedical chromatography : BMC

Leaf extracts

1. Biomedical chromatography : BMC

Suspension cells(sascs)

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica