''Sorbus porrigentiformis'', the grey-leafed 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 to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

and

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

Description

This is a shrub or small tree, growing to a height of about 5m. It has obovate leaves ; these are shiny green above, and as with all whitebeams, are whitish below. Flowers are white, while the fruits are red globose berries ca.1cm across, usually dappled with pale lenticels.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.

Distribution and habitat

''Sorbus porrigentiformis'' is a light demanding species, growing in abandoned quarries, scrubby hills, and grassland on shallow, usually calcareous soils. Populations are restricted to South

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

and

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, and there are fewer than one thousand individuals in total.

References

porrigentiformis {{sorbus-stub