Micromeles japonica
Credits
Article from Bean's Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles
Recommended citation
'Micromeles japonica' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.
Genus
Synonyms
- Aria japonica Decne.
- Pyrus commutata Cardot
- Sorbus japonica (Decne.) Hedl.
Editorial Note
The text below is that of Bean (Bean 1981) who discussed this taxon under the name Sorbus japonica. We have created this hybrid article – Bean’s text under the correct modern name, with appropriate synonymy – whilst we await sponsorship to enable a full revision of this genus to be written. We are re-organising the Sorbus sensu lato articles in this way to enable a new revision of Sorbus sensu stricto to commence in 2023, and to bring the nomenclature of this complex group of plants up to date in line with modern treatments.
The taxon referred to below as ‘var. calocarpa’ is now Micromeles calocarpa.
TC, August 2023.
A tree to about 70 ft high in the wild, but barely half as high in Britain; branchlets dark brown, lenticellate, at first densely white-woolly; winter-buds conic, glossy, brown or greenish brown. Leaves simple, broadly ovate to obovate, cuneate at the base, 21⁄2 to 5 in. long, lateral veins in eight to eleven pairs, straight and parallel, margins toothed and shallowly lobulate, upper surface dull green, glabrous at maturity, lower surface sparsely to densely clad with white wool. Inflorescence many-flowered, the flowers white and about 3⁄8 in. across; branches of inflorescence and receptacle white-woolly; calyx lobes acuminate, soon deciduous with the free part of the receptacle. Styles two. Fruits ellipsoid to pear-shaped, red, lenticellate, almost 1⁄2 in. long (but orange-yellow or golden yellow, somewhat larger and without lenticels in var. calocarpa Rehd.).
Native of Japan and Korea. The plants in cultivation, mostly small and not thriving, probably derive from seed of the var. calocarpa, sent by Wilson from Japan.
