× ''Sorbaronia fallax'',

synonyms A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...

including × ''Sorbaronia mitschurinii'' and ''Aronia'' × ''mitschurinii'', is an artificial hybrid between ''

Aronia melanocarpa ''Aronia'' is a genus of deciduous shrubs, the chokeberries, in the family Rosaceae native to eastern North America and most commonly found in wet woods and swamps. The genus Aronia is considered to have 3 species. The most common and wid ...

'' and ''

Sorbus aucuparia ''Sorbus aucuparia'', commonly called rowan (, also ) and mountain-ash, is a species of deciduous tree or shrub in the rose family. The tree has a slender trunk with smooth bark, a loose and roundish crown, and its leaves are pinnate in pairs o ...

''. Before genetic testing, it was thought to be a hybrid among cultivars of ''

'', common ones including 'Viking' and 'Nero'.Skvortsov, A.K., Yu.K. Maitulina, and Y.N. Gorbunov. 1983. Cultivated black-fruited Aronia: Place, time, and probable mechanism of formation. Bull. MOIP. Otd. Biol. 88:88-9
translation
by Irina Kadis It has been suggested that × ''Sorbaronia fallax'' is the product of Russian pomologist Ivan Vladimirovich Michurin's early 20th-century experiments in wide hybridizations.

Description

This species is more robust than wild populations of ''Aronia melanocarpa''; the leaves are broader, and the fruits larger. It is

tetraploid Polyploidy is a condition in which the cells of an organism have more than two paired sets of ( homologous) chromosomes. Most species whose cells have nuclei (eukaryotes) are diploid, meaning they have two complete sets of chromosomes, one fro ...

and

self-fertile Self-incompatibility (SI) is a general name for several genetic mechanisms that prevent self-fertilization in sexual reproduction, sexually reproducing organisms, and thus encourage outcrossing and allogamy. It is contrasted with separation of sexe ...

Uses

× ''Sorbaronia fallax'' has historically seen extensive cultivation in the former

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

as its large fruits are suitable for

juice Juice is a drink made from the extraction or Cold-pressed juice, pressing of the natural liquid contained in fruit and vegetables. It can also refer to liquids that are flavored with concentrate or other biological food sources, such as meat ...

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

, and

jam Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or spread. There are many varieties of fruit preserves globally, distinguished by the meth ...

-making, and because they are self-fertile, requiring only one plant to produce fruit. Like ''Aronia'' species, the fruit is used as a

flavoring A flavoring (or flavouring), also known as flavor (or flavour) or flavorant, is a food additive that is used to improve the taste or smell of food. It changes the perceptual impression of food as determined primarily by the chemoreceptors of ...

colorant A colourant/colour additive (British spelling) or colorant/color additive (American spelling) is a substance that is added or applied in order to change the colour of a material or surface. Colourants can be used for many purposes including printin ...

for beverages or yogurts. Juice from the ripe berries is

astringent An astringent (sometimes called adstringent) is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues. The word derives from the Latin '' adstringere'', which means "to bind fast". Astringency, the dry, puckering or numbing mouthfeel caused by t ...

, sweet (with high sugar content), sour (low pH), and contains

vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits, berries and vegetables. It is also a generic prescription medication and in some countries is sold as a non-prescription di ...

. In addition to juice, the fruit can be baked into soft breads.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sorbaronia fallax Maleae Hybrid plants