Sorbus Latifolia — Wikipedia

Alisier de Fontainebleau, Élorsier, sorbier with large leaves

L’ Alisier de Fontainebleau , Elurser or Sorbier with large leaves ( Sorbus Latifolia ) is a kind of small trees in the family of Rosaceae and of the genre Sorbus . It is believed that this species was born out of hybridization, probably for a long time, between the White Alisier ( Sorbus Aria ), and the Torminal Alisier ( Sorbus torrininalis ), and it is now completely fixed. It is phanerophyte, endemic from Western Europe, and grows in light undergrowth.

Vegetative device [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

It is a tree or shrub of 3 to 15 meters, fucked; The bark is gray, smooth, becoming brownish and more rough with age, with a fairly unpleasant odor when it is offended; It can be lounged and reach a respectable size (up to almost 1.50 m in circumference for very old subjects). The leaves are alternate, petiolate, largely elliptical (7 to 15 cm long out of 6 to 12 cm wide) ; A little tough, almost glabrous above but covered with a green-grayish, cottony, on the underside; They are almost truncated at the base, with edges cut into treble lobes, toothed, of decreasing size towards the summit, and separated by very open and shallow sinuses; There are 5 to 10 pairs of ribs strongly printed on the face ^{[ 2 ]} .

Reproductive system [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The flowers are small (1.5 to 2 cm of diameter), white, in compound corymbes and long pedunculated; There are five small and narrow sepales, five white, whole, rounded, spread, spread, velusted at their base; There are many stamens; The ovary is infer, bilocular, with two welded carpels and two styles. The fruit is not very fleshy, subglobular, from 1 to 1.5 cm of diameter, yeast-yellowish brown or reddish brown, floury or warty, almost blest at maturity. Flowering takes place in May-June, fruiting at the end of summer, or in autumn ^{[ 2 ]} .

Possible confusion [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

This small tree is generally considered as a species of hybrid origin: his parents seem to be the tortisier ( Sorbus torrininalis ) and the white Alisier ( Sorbus Aria ). This supposed hybrid is in a way fixed by the type of particular reproduction (apomixy). Its ecology is close to that of these two species. The leaves take up characters from the supposed parents of the hybrid, in particular a form (oval-orbicular somewhat wavy) intermediate and the presence of a grayish Tomentum on the underside as in Sorbus Aria . However, new hybrids, also presenting intermediate characters, can form at any time; They are rarer, very unstable, but can be confused, especially when they are young, with S.latifolia . A number of the mentioned localities of S.latifolia may therefore be to relate to these hybrids ^{[ 2 ]} .

It is quite easily distinguished from its two parent species, but it can be confused with the Alisier of Sweden which is frequently planted in the parks, the gardens and along the streets. The leaves of the suede alisier are whiter below, with more rounded and more regular lobes along the limb, and less tight ribs, while its fruits are red ^{[ 3 ]} .

The species is phanerophyte. Despite its probably hybrid origin, the Alisier de Fontainebleau flourishes and fruit normally, and can be reproduced by sowing ^{[ 2 ]} .

It is a rare essence and scattered in the forest massifs. The species is rather heliophile and xerophilic, pushing on neutral or slightly acidic soils, on Mull carbonate or Mesotrophic; It does not rise at altitude; Its ecological optimum is found in light woods, forest edges, on the hillsides and edges of limestone plateaus covered with pebble clay of decarbonation decarbonation ^{[ 2 ]} .

The Alisier de Fontainebleau is endemic to the west of Europe, mainly present from southern and southern Germany from Belgium to Spain and Portugal (disseminated and rare in the North, especially Pyrenees and Cantabriques Monts ). In France, it is also rare and scattered, present from Alsace and Lorraine to Berry and Burgundy; However, it still seems fairly present in the forests of the southern Parisian basin (Gâtinais, southern de la Brie, forest of Fontainebleau, etc.) ^{[ 2 ]} .

The Alisier de Fontainebleau is a rare species, endemic from Western Europe, which is protected at the national level in France (according to the decree of January 20, 1982).

Populations are not threatened as such, but the scarcity of individuals makes them fragile. There is no particular threat, except the too much closure of the environments when the trees are young. Furthermore, the buckets being in their set of noble woods (hardwood, dense, homogeneous, sought after in turnering), they are rather favored by foresters in large state forests ^{[ 2 ]} . However, the species is classified as “vulnerable species” (seen) on the global red list of the IUCN. In France, it is in “minor concern” (LC) but is “in critical danger of extinction” (CR) in Haute Normandie and “Enanangible” (in) in Burgundy and Picardy ^{[ first ]} .

Its high concentration on part of the Avron plateau has also justified the protection of this area thanks to a biotope protection order, under the name of the Biotope of the Alisiers. Some of these protected trees reach advanced ages ^{[ 4 ]} .

Related articles [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Bibliography [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

• ARNAL G., 1996. The protected plants of Île-de-France . Parthenope collection – Editions Biotope, Paris. 349 p.
• Bonnier G., 1990 reissue. Gaston Bonnier’s great color flora . France, Switzerland, Belgium and neighboring countries. 4 volumes. Editions Belin, Paris. 1401 p.
• Bournerias M., Arnal G., Bock C., Guide to plant groups in the Paris region . New illustrated edition. Editions Belin, Paris. 640 p.
• DANTON P., BAFFRAY M., 1995. Inventory of protected plants in France . Nathan editions and French association for the conservation of plant species (A.F.C.E.V), Paris and Mulhouse. 294 p.
• Lambinon J., Delvosalle L., Duvigneaud J., 1973, fifth 2004 edition. New flora of Belgium, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, northern France and neighboring regions . Editions of the heritage of the National Botanical Garden of Belgium, Meise. CXXX + 1167 p.
• Rameau J.-C., Mansion D., Dume G., 1993. French forest flora , illustrated ecological guide, volume 2: mountains. Ministry of Agriculture and Institute for Forest Development, Paris. 2421 p.
• Rouy G., Foucaud J., 1895. Flore de France or description of plants that grow spontaneously in France, Corsica and Alsace-Lorraine . Volume II. Société des Sciences Naturals de la Charente-Inférieur, Paris. XI, 349 p.