Round-leaved whitebeam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Round-leaved whitebeam |
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| Leaves and unripe fruit from a small tree in Sutton Park, England | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Sorbus
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| Species: |
eminens
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The round-leaved whitebeam, known scientifically as Sorbus eminens, is a special type of plant. It belongs to the Rosaceae family, which also includes roses and apples! Sometimes, it's called Aria eminens because scientists group it with other "whitebeam" trees. This tree is very unique because it grows naturally only in Great Britain. Sadly, its home is shrinking, which puts it at risk.
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What Does the Round-Leaved Whitebeam Look Like?
The round-leaved whitebeam is a lot like another tree called Sorbus aria. It can grow as a shrub or a small tree, reaching up to about 10 meters (around 33 feet) tall. Imagine a tree that's about as tall as a three-story building!
Leaves and Fruit
The leaves of this tree are quite special. Their undersides look greyish-white because they are covered in many tiny hairs. The leaves are mostly round, usually a bit longer than they are wide. They typically have 9 to 11 veins on each side, like little lines running through them. The edges of the leaves often have a single row of teeth, like a saw blade.
When the tree produces fruit, you'll notice something interesting. The fruits have many small spots called lenticels. These spots are like tiny pores, and you'll find them mostly near the bottom of the fruit.
Where Does This Tree Grow?
The round-leaved whitebeam is a native tree, meaning it naturally grows in specific areas. You can find it in parts of south-west England and south Wales. It likes to grow in woodlands where the soil has a lot of calcium, like in north Somerset, west Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Monmouthshire.
Unexpected Locations
Sometimes, this tree pops up in unexpected places! For example, it has been found in Sutton Park near Birmingham. This area is quite far from its usual home. Scientists believe that these trees were probably planted there by people a long time ago.
How Did This Tree Come to Be?
The round-leaved whitebeam, Sorbus eminens, has an interesting story about how it came to exist. It's a tetraploid plant. This means it has four sets of chromosomes in its cells, instead of the usual two.
Plant Hybrids
This special tree was formed when two different types of whitebeam trees mixed their genes. It's a hybrid that resulted from Sorbus aria and Sorbus porrigentiformis growing together and creating a new kind of plant. This is a natural way for new plant species to appear over a very long time!
Images for kids
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Leaves and unripe fruit from a small tree in Sutton Park, England
