''Sorbus randaiensis'' is a deciduous tree of 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 an endemic species in
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
and can be found in the mountain areas of middle Taiwan, with altitude 1,800m to 3,200m, mostly spotted in the forest of
Xueshan
Xueshan, formerly known as and by other names, is a mountain in the Heping District of Taichung, Taiwan. It is the 2nd-highest mountain in Taiwan and in East Asia, at above sea level. It is located in the Shei-Pa National Park and is visib ...
,
Hehuan Mountain, , and
Nenggao Mountain.
It is a tree 3–8 m tall with white flowers and reddish fruit.
Naming
It was first
described as ''Pyrus aucuparia'' var. ''randaiensis'' by
Bunzō Hayata
was a Japanese botanist noted for his taxonomic work in Japan and Formosa, present day Taiwan.
Early life
Hayata was born to a devout Buddhist family in Kamo, Niigata on December 2, 1874. When he was 16, Hayata became interested in botany, and ...
in 1911, then placed in ''Sorbus'' by
Gen'ichi Koidzumi
was a Japanese botanist, author of several papers and monographs on phytogeography including work on roses and Amygdaloideae (Rosaceae), maples (Aceraceae), mulberries (the genus '' Morus''), and many other plants. His name is sometimes transli ...
in 1913.
Its species epithet ''randaiensis'' implies that the first type specimen was collected at Mount Xiluan.
Description
Deciduous trees with obvious lenticel on the branches.
Leaf
Alternate, odd number pinnate leaves, with leaflets 15–21. Leaflets without petiole, shaped from long oval to lanceolate, 3–4 cm in length, 8–12 cm in width. The front end tapered, and the basal part skew, circled or obtuse. Margin jagged. Petiole with groove, and with short furs when young.
Flower
Terminal corymbs inflorescence. Pedicels are short, about 3–4 mm in length. Petals 5, white. Hypanthium with long furs, triangle shaped. Stamens 15–20, Carpels 3–5, isolated. Styles 3–5, isolated or basal synthetic. Flower perigynous.
Fruit
Schizocarp, berry-like, globular with diameter 7 mm. The front end has the remaining traces of stigma and calyx. Turn rubine at maturation.
Phenology
First leaf for the spring sprouts during April to May. Inflorescence is on about May to June. Around September to October, their fruits ripen with rubine color. And in the October to November, their leaves turn yellow or red before falling down.
Uses
Medicine
Its fruit, stem, and bark can be used as medicine. Although tasting bitter, it is a cure for chronic bronchitis and cough with phlegm, and is spleen-tonifying.
Ornamental
It is eye-catching with their beautifully-shaped appearance from branching to flowers, especially the amazing change of leaves to red and rubine fruits in October.
Food
The fruits are with juicy texture and sweetness, tasting delicious.
Notes
References
台灣植物資訊整合查詢系統雪霸國家公園全球資訊網*
External links
* {{Wikispecies-inline, Sorbus randaiensis
randaiensis
Endemic flora of Taiwan
Trees of Taiwan
Plants described in 1911
Taxa named by Bunzō Hayata