Aria collina, the Hill whitebeam is a mostly apomictic speciesSorbus collina Lepši, P. Lepši & N. Mey. Hügel-Mehlbeere. (n.d.). Botanischer Informationsknoten Bayern. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://daten.bayernflora.de/de/info_pflanzen.php?taxnr=36432 of tree in the family RosaceaeAria collina (M.Lepší, P.Lepší & N.Mey.) Sennikov & Kurtto. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77164841-1 native to the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria.
Description
Vegetative characteristics Aria collina is a deciduous, 3–10(–18) m tall shrub or treeMeyer, T. (n.d.). Hügel- Mehlbeere (Sorbus collina M. Lepší et al.). Blumen in Schwaben. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://www.blumeninschwaben.de/Zweikeimblaettrige/Rosengewaechse/aria_agg.htm#H%C3%BCgel-%20Mehlbeere with coriaceous, dentate, circular to ovate, 5–9 cm long, and (5.7–)7–7.5(–9.8) cm wide leaves with an obtuse apex or a very short pointed tip. The leaf base is cuneate or rounded. The lower half of the lamina has an entire margin, and the upper half is dentate. The adaxial leaf surface is initially densely pubescent, and later glabrescent. The abaxial leaf surface is pubescent with white hairs. The leaves have 7–9(–10) lateral veins. The grey bark is initially smooth and later becomes fissured, especially towards the base of the trunk.Grulich, V. (2017, May 20). SORBUS COLLINA M. Lepší, P. Lepší et N. Meyer – jeřáb chlumní / jarabina. BOTANY.cz. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://botany.cz/cs/sorbus-collina/ The thick branches are grey-brown and smooth. The twigs are thick and the new growth is initially tomentose, later becoming glabrous. The buds are ovoid and pointed.
Generative characteristics The dense, arched, 6 cm wide, and 6 cm tall, pedunculate corymb with tomentose branches bears white, actinomorphic flowers. The sepals are triangular, pointed or acuminate, and the white, broadly elliptical petals are (6–)6.5–7.5(–8) mm long. The flower has 20 stamens and 2 styles. The infructescence bears numerous scarlet red, (10–)11–12(–13) mm long, and 1 cm wide globose accessory fruits with a persistent calyx and few large lenticels. The fruit is pubescent at the base and at the apex, but is glabrous in the middle. The mesocarp is heterogeneous and the endocarp is cartilaginous. It is mostly apomictic, but some seeds are produced sexually.Hroneš, M. (2021, February 1). Sorbus collina - jeřáb chlumní. Natura Bohemica. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from http://www.naturabohemica.cz/sorbus-collina/ The seeds are brownish-grey.
Cytology The chromosome count is 2n = 4x = 68.Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung. (n.d.). Sorbus collina M. Lepší, P. Lepší & N. Mey. Chromosomenzahlen Zur Flora Von Deutschland. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://chromosomes.senckenberg.de/item/20399 It is tetraploid. The genetic diversity is higher than expected for an apomictic species. Aria collina consists of several clones and a high number of unique genotypes, but the genetic differences are small and the different genotypes are morphologically uniform. The variability of genotypes is caused by the accumulation of mutations, different polyploidization events of multiple origins, backcrossing, and remnant sexuality.Feulner, M., Weig, A., Paule, J., Gregor, T., Schott, L. F., & Aas, G. (2017). Genetic variability and morphology of tri-and tetraploid members of the Sorbus aria complex in northern Bavaria. Preslia 89: 275–290, https://doi.org/10.23855/preslia.2017.275
Taxonomy It was first described as Sorbus collina by Martin Lepší, Petr Lepší, and Norbert Meyer in 2015.Sorbus collina M.Lepší, P.Lepší & N.Mey. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://ipni.org/n/77149901-1 It was moved to the genus Aria as Aria collina by Alexander Nikolaevitsch Sennikov and Arto Kurtto in 2017.Aria collina (M.Lepší, P.Lepší & N.Mey.) Sennikov & Kurtto. (n.d.-b). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://ipni.org/n/77164841-1 The type specimen was collected by M. Lepší and P. Lepší in Nalžovické Podhájí (distr. Příbram), central Bohemia, Czech Republic on the 7th of August 2013. It has long been confused with Aria pannonica,Meyer, N., Feulner, M., Voss, R., Rich, T., Gregor, T., & Paule, J. (2020). Sorbus dubronensis, eine neue endemische Art aus der Untergattung Aria (Sorbus s.l., Rosaceae) für Süddeutschland, und ihre Abgrenzung zu verwandten Arten. Ber. Bayer. Bot. Ges, 90, 83-106. Aria graeca,Pachschwöll, C. (2019). (368) Sorbus collina. Neilreichia, 10, 263–264. doi:10.5281/zenodo.2630545 and Aria edulis.Lepší, M., Lepší, P., Kouteck, P., Bila, J., & Vit, P. (2015). Taxonomic revision of Sorbus subgenus Aria occurring in the Czech Republic. Preslia 87: 109–162. Etymology The specific epithet collina means growing on hills.Blaich, G. (n.d.). Sorbus collina M.LEPSI, P.LEPSI & N.MEY. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://guenther-blaich.de/pflseite.php?par=Sorbus+collina&abs=pflfmros&lan=x&grp=a
Distribution and habitat It is native to the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria, where it occurs in natural or semi natural, open or semi-open habitats such as cliffs, screes, steppes, woodland or gaps and clearings, as well as in pine or spruce plantations at elevations of 220–800 m above sea level. It occurs both in areas with acidic or base-rich bedrock.
Conservation Aria collina is a species of least concern with a large, but declining population of 10000–20000 trees occurring on a large area. It is a rare and threatened species in Germany.Sorbus collina M. Lepší et al. (2026, January 14). Rote Liste Zentrum. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://www.rote-liste-zentrum.de/detailseite/?species_uuid=2f6bdb44-322c-4ce0-b3bb-5561984350dc In the Czech Republic, it is categorised as vulnerable species. In the Czech RepublicSorbus collina. (n.d.). Database of the Czech Flora and Vegetation. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://pladias.cz/en/taxon/data/Sorbus%20collina#10 and in Germany, it doesn't have special legal protection.BfN - Bundesamt für Naturschutz. (n.d.). Sorbus collina M. Lepší, P. Lepší & N. Mey. (Hügel-Mehlbeere). FloraWeb. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://www.floraweb.de/php/artenhome.php?suchnr=35055 It is cultivated in the ex situ collection of Dendrologická zahrada Průhonice,Dendrologická zahrada Průhonice. (2025). Index seminum 73/2025. Průhonice. in the Arboretum Křtiny,Arboretum Křtiny. (2024, September 5). jeřáb chlumní Sorbus collina. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://arboretum-krtiny.cz/rejstrik/jerab-chlumni/ and in the Arboretum of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Rogów.List of woody plants growing in Arboretum. (2021, November 30). Arboretum of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Rogów. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://arboretum.sggw.edu.pl/wykaz-a/
Uses It has been planted as an urban tree in Třebíč and Strakonice.
References
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