J 2 [ 337 ]
S O R B U S aucuparia.
Mountain AJh, or Quicken Tree.
I C O S A N D R I A Trigynia.
G e n. Ch a r. Cal. in 5 fegments. Petals 5 . Berry
inferior, with 3 feeds.
Spec. Char. Leaves pinnated, fmooth on both tides.
Syn. Sorbus aucuparia. Linn. Sp. PI. 683. Hudf.
FI. An. 2,1$. With. Bot. Arr. 513. Relh. Cant.
190.
S. fylveftris, foliis domefticas fimilis. Rail Syn. 452.
fJ [ 'H I S elegant tree grows very abundantly in mountainous
(not alpine) woods, efpecially in the northern counties, and is
now indeed pretty generally flifperfed through the kingdom,
having been fo very frequently planted about houfes for ornament.
The flowers appear in May, and the berries ripen in
September.
It is of flow growth; the wood tough and clofe-grained,
not very hard ; bark fmooth, greyilh. Leaves winged; their
leaflets ferrated, entire at the bafe, fmooth above, and nearly
fo beneath, except a few fine fcattered hairs, and their under
fide is alfo glaucous. The flowers are white, in large terminal
corymbi. Petals very concave. Germen hairy; ftyles 3,
fometimes 4, the feeds anfwering to them in number. Berries
bright red, very juicy, acid aftringent and bitter, fcarcely eatable
when raw, though a not unpleafant jelly is prepared from
them in the Highlands with fugar.