''Aria hibernica'', commonly known as Irish whitebeam, is a species of

whitebeam The whitebeams are members of the family Rosaceae, comprising subgenus ''Aria'' (or, according to some authorities, its own genus) of genus ''Sorbus'', and hybrids involving species of this subgenus and members of subgenera ''Sorbus'', ''Torminar ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to Ireland. It occurs in most counties, usually as scattered individuals, or in small groups.Rich, T.C.G., Houston, L., Robertson, A. and Proctor, M.C.F., 2010. Whitebeams, Rowans and Service trees of Britain and Ireland: a monograph of British and Irish'Sorbus' L. London: Botanical Society of the British Isles. The

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

has currently listed this species as a

vulnerable species A vulnerable species is a species which has been Conservation status, categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being threatened species, threatened with extinction unless the circumstances that are threatened species, ...

and its population is currently stable.

Description

''Aria hibernica'' is a small tree or shrub up to high with obovate, unlobed leaves and clusters of white flowers. The fruits are usually wider than long.

Distribution and habitat

''Aria hibernica'' is found in most Irish counties, usually in ones or twos, but with occasional larger groups. Estimates of the total population range from 250 to 1000 individuals. Most trees are in the centre of the island, with some in the north and some in the southeast. It occurs in a range of habitats including mountains, woods and cliffs on

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

, gorges, lakesides, rocky pastures, hedges, roadsides and open woodland.

Conservation

''Aria hibernica'' is a very rare plant in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. Fewer than ten sites are known, some with a single tree. One of these locations is on cliffs near

Garron Tower St MacNissi's College (now St Killian's College and colloquially known as Garron Tower) was a Roman Catholic grammar school located to the north of Carnlough. History The College is best known for its natural setting in grounds situated on a p ...

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...

. As a result of this rarity, and its endemic status, ''A. hibernica'' is one of the Habitas Priority Species for Northern Ireland. It is also a rare plant in Ireland, with the total population estimated as being in the range 240 to 1,000 individuals. It has a widespread distribution over all of the island, but only as scattered individual trees or small clumps. The population appears to be stable, but with such a small total population, the tree is sensitive to habitat loss.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q41069005, from2=Q17242434 Rosaceae Flora of Ireland