''Hedlundia anglica'', the English whitebeam, is a species of

whitebeam The whitebeams are members of the family Rosaceae, tribe Malinae, comprising a number of deciduous simple or lobe-leaved species formerly lumped together within ''Sorbus'' s.l. Many whitebeams are the result of extensive intergeneric hybridisa ...

tree in the family

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus '' Rosa''. The family includes herbs, shrubs, and trees. Most species are deciduous, but som ...

. It is endemic to Ireland and the United Kingdom, with an entire British population estimated at 600David Jones, ''Welsh Wildlife'', 2003, "Trees", p. 39. individuals.

Description

''Hedlundia anglica'' grows as a small tree or shrub, often with multiple stems. The leaves are broader than most other related species, with lobes whose bases are incised up to one third of the way to the midrib.

Distribution

''Hedlundia anglica'' is found in several widely scattered sites in southwestern England, Wales, and around Killarney in southwestern Ireland.

Ecology and evolution

''Hedlundia anglica'' is usually found growing on cliffs, quarries and rocky hillsides. It appears to be indifferent to

soil pH Soil pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity (alkalinity) of a soil. Soil pH is a key characteristic that can be used to make informative analysis both qualitative and quantitatively regarding soil characteristics. pH is defined as the neg ...

. Occasional specimens are known from oak woodland. Research suggests ''Hedlundia anglica'' arose from a cross between ''

Aria porrigentiformis ''Aria porrigentiformis'', commonly known as the grey-leafed whitebeam, is a species of whitebeam endemic to England and Wales. Description This species grows as a shrub or small tree, growing to a height of about 5m. It has obovate leaves ; the ...

'' 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 ...

''.

References

{{Use dmy dates, date=May 2020 anglica Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Flora of Great Britain Trees of Ireland Trees of Europe