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ROWAN'S
compound pinnate leaf with serrated leaflets |
Flowers of ROWAN Sorbus
aucuparia |
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ROWAN berries
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WHITEBEAM Sorbus aria.
Underside of leaf covered in
white hair. Planted and naturalized. |
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Twig of
WHITEBEAM Sorbus aria Buds with green or brown scales, twig
grey-brown. |
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Newly
opened bud of Whitebeam showing the white undersides.
Photo: © Vic George |
Fruits and leaves of
Whitebeam Sorbus aria |
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Twig of
BASTARD SERVICE TREE Sorbus thuringiaca |
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Twig of
SWEDISH WHITEBEAM Sorbus intermedia |
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(Left) BASTARD SERVICE TREE. S.thuringiaca.
A hybrid of Rowan and Whitebeam. The underside of leaf is downy. There are one or two
pairs of free leaflets. (Centre) SWEDISH
WHITEBEAM Sorbus
intermedia. (Right)
BROAD-LEAVED WHITEBEAM Sorbus latifolia agg.
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ROWAN Sorbus aucuparia
There are
several Rowan trees to be found in the Country Park. A few are
mature and a good example is on the horse ride at the end of Foxburrows
Road. The compound pinnate leaf is superficially like an Ash and hence its
other name of Mountain Ash. The red autumn berries are a favourite with
Redwings and Fieldfares and also makes an excellent jelly to accompany
venison, game and chicken dishes. Whitebeam S. aria has a simple
leaf with a downy white underside and occurs mainly as a sapling tree. A
mature hybrid of Rowan and Whitebeam known as a Bastard Service tree S.
thuringiaca can be found in the plantation by walking along the main
footpath from the Latchford gate. It was planted by the GLC and there are
also some good examples in the Roding Valley Reserve opposite Tesco, South
Woodford. The leaf has one or two pairs of free leaflets. A few saplings
of Swedish Whitebeam S. intermedia occur in the forest and there is
one example of Broad-leaved Whitebeam at the back of the Heathland area.
The Wild
service tree S. torminalis completes this group, but
because of its importance as an ancient woodland species it has its own
page.
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Bastard Service tree on
the edge of the plantation. Note the upward pointing branches. This is a hybrid of
Rowan and Whitebeam. |
TOP: Bastard service tree in
flower and
BELOW: Flowers of Swedish
Whitebeam. |