''Sorbus lanata'', or hairy rowan, is a species of

rowan The rowans ( or ) or mountain-ashes are shrubs or trees in the genus ''Sorbus ''Sorbus'' is a genus of over 100 species of trees and shrubs in the rose family, Rosaceae. Species of ''Sorbus'' (''s.l.'') are commonly known as whitebeam, r ...

deciduous tree of the family

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are ''Alchemilla'' (270), ''Sorbus ...

. It is a rose plant species which was first described by

David Don David Don (21 December 1799 – 15 December 1841) was a Scottish people, Scottish botanist. Biography David Don was born on 21 December 1799 at Doo Hillock, Forfar, Angus, Scotland to Caroline Clementina Stuart, and her husband George Don of ...

, and got its current name from

Johannes Conrad Schauer Johannes Conrad Schauer (16 February 1813 – 24 October 1848) was a botanist interested in Spermatophytes. He was born in Frankfurt am Main and attended the gymnasium of Mainz from 1825 to 1837. For the next three years he worked at the Hofgar ...

. No subspecies are listed in the Catalog of Life. It measures tall, rarely a shrub. ''S. lanata'' is a fruit bearing tree that flowers in May. It can grow in loamy, sandy and clay soils. ''S. lanata'' can grow in complete sunlight or semi-shaded areas. It can withstand high wind speeds, but not much of other harsh conditions. The plant is sometimes grown as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

in stone gardens, parks and yards.

Fruit

The fruit of ''S. lanata'' has a tropical taste and grows in bunches. The fruits measure between 1 and 3 cm in diameter. The seeds of this fruit contain trace amounts of

hydrogen cyanide Hydrogen cyanide, sometimes called prussic acid, is a chemical compound with the formula HCN and structure . It is a colorless, extremely poisonous, and flammable liquid that boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is produced on an ...

. This is not much of a problem because there is only a very small amount in the seeds. There are no known medicinal properties of ''S. lanata'' and its fruit.

Distribution

''S. lanata'' plants are found in the northern hemisphere. They grow in cooler areas. Most of the species is found in Eastern China and the

Himalayas The Himalayas, or Himalaya (; ; ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the planet's highest peaks, including the very highest, Mount Everest. Over 100 ...

. A large amount of them is also found in high grazing pastures of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

References

lanata Trees of China Flora of East Himalaya {{sorbus-stub