Cormus domestica
| Service tree | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Subfamily: | Amygdaloideae |
| Tribe: | Maleae |
| Subtribe: | Malinae |
| Genus: | Cormus Spach |
| Species: | C. domestica |
| Binomial name | |
| Cormus domestica (L.) Spach | |
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| Distribution map | |
| Synonyms | |
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List
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Cormus domestica, commonly known as service tree or sorb tree, is a species of tree in the rose family (Rosaceae). Its continuous range includes much of Europe as well as northern Anatolia, but isolated populations have been found in the Atlas Mountains of Northwest Africa, and east into the Caucasus and northwestern Iran. It may be called the true service tree, to distinguish it from the wild service tree (Aria torminalis, syn. Sorbus torminalis). It is commonly classified as the only species in the monotypic genus Cormus, although the synonym Sorbus domestica continues to be used.
Taxonomy and evolution
Taxonomic history
The service tree was formally described by Carl Linnaeus as Sorbus domestica in his Species Plantarum (1753). In the aftermath, it was included in several other genera, including Cormus, Crataegus, Malus, Mespilus and Pyrus. Since the early 20th century, it has been mainly included in a broadly circumscribed genus Sorbus or, alternatively, within the usually monotypic genus Cormus. Starting in the late 2010s, its classification in Cormus tended to be preferred, but Sorbus domestica continues to be used (as of July 2026).[2]
Evolution
Within Maleae, the service tree is usually classified within a clade that includes genera such as Pyrus, Sorbus, Aria, and Micromeles. However, the exact relationships within that clade are poorly resolved, owing to a particularly complicated evolutionary history, likely involving rapid diversification and extensive hybridisation.[3] While there are no studies focused on the service tree's origin, its divergence time has been estimated by three studies, with differing results, placing it in either the late Eocene (c. 40 million years ago), the early Oligocene (c. 30 million years ago), or the late Miocene (c. 10 million years ago).[4][5][6]
Fossil remains across Europe have been attributed to the service tree or its close extinct relatives. Fossils dating to the late Miocene (c. 10–5 million years ago) of Senigallia, Italy, that were initially described as Sorbus synoica, have been attributed to the species.[7] Additionally, fossils from the late Pliocene (c. 3 million years ago) of Willershausen, Germany,[8] and early Pleistocene (between c. 2–1 million years ago) fossils from Bernasso (France),[9] Crespiá (Spain),[10] and Oriolo (Italy)[11] have been attributed to the species, and similar leaf fossils have also been reported from the late Pleistocene (c. 400 thousand years ago) from the vicinity of Rome and the late Miocene of Chiuzbaia, Romania.[12] Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) leaves can be very similar to service tree leaves, however, particularly when growing on dry sites.[11]
Description
The service tree is deciduous and grows 15–20 m (49–66 ft) (rarely 30 m or 100 ft) tall with a trunk up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) diameter, though it can also be a shrub 2–3 m (6.6–9.8 ft) tall on exposed sites. The bark is brown, smooth on young trees, becoming scaly and rough on older trees. The winter buds are green, with a sticky, resinous coating. The leaves are 15–25 cm (5.9–9.8 in) long, pinnate with 13–21 leaflets 3–6 cm (1.2–2.4 in) long and 1 cm (0.39 in) broad. The leaves have a bluntly acute apex, and a serrated margin on the outer half or two thirds of the leaflet. The margin of the leaflets is et with slender teeth, except towards the base, which is entire, glabrous above and more or less downy beneath, becoming glabrous or nearly so by autumn.[13]
The flowers are 13–18 mm (0.51–0.71 in) diameter, with five white petals and 20 creamy-white stamens; they are produced in corymbs 10–14 cm (3.9–5.5 in) diameter in late spring, and are hermaphrodite and insect pollinated. The fruit is a human-edible pome 2–3 cm (0.79–1.18 in) called the "serviceberry" that is long, greenish-brown, and often tinged red on the side exposed to sunlight; it can be either apple-shaped (f. pomifera (Hayne) Rehder) or pear-shaped (f. pyrifera (Hayne) Rehder).[14][15][16][17]
Ecology
Cormus domestica is generally rare, listed as an endangered species in Switzerland and Austria, and uncommon in Spain. In the UK, one very old tree that existed in the Wyre Forest before being destroyed by fire in 1862 used to be considered native, but it is now generally considered to be more likely of cultivated origin, probably from a mediaeval monastery orchard planting.[17] More recently, a small population of genuinely wild specimens was found growing as stunted shrubs on cliffs in south Wales (Glamorgan) and nearby southwest England (Gloucestershire).[17][18] It is a very rare species in Britain, occurring at only a handful of sites. Its largest English population is within the Horseshoe Bend Site of Special Scientific Interest at Shirehampton, near Bristol.
A further population has been discovered growing wild in Cornwall on a cliff in the upper Camel Estuary.[19]
It is a long-lived tree, with ages of 300–400 years estimated for some in Britain.[17]
One of the largest and probably oldest known specimens in Europe is on an educational trail near the town of Strážnice in the province of Moravia, Czech Republic. Its trunk measures 462 cm (15.16 ft) in circumference, with a crown 11 m (36 ft) high and 18 m (59 ft) across. It is estimated to be around 450 years old.[20]
Cultivation and uses
The fruit is a component of a cider-like drink which is still made in parts of Europe. Picked straight off the tree, it is highly astringent and gritty;[21] however, when left to blet (overripen) it sweetens and becomes pleasant to eat. In the Moravian Slovakia region of the Czech Republic, there is a community-run museum[22] with an educational trail and a festival for this tree, with products like jam, juice and brandy made from its fruit.[23]
In ancient Greece, the fruit was cut in half and pickled, which in Plato's Symposium (190d7-8) has Aristophanes use as a metaphor for the cutting in half of the original spherical humans by Zeus.[24]
Service tree wood was often used for manufacturing wooden planes of all types used for working wood, because servicetree wood is fairly dense and holds a profile well.[25][26]
Etymology and other names
The English name comes from Middle English serves, plural of serve, from Old English syrfe, borrowed from the Latin name sorbus; it is unrelated to the verb serve.[27] Other English names include sorb, sorb tree, and whitty pear—"whitty" because the leaves are similar to rowan (i.e. pinnate), and "pear" due to the shape of the fruit. The name sorb, likewise, is from the Latin sorbus; because of its fruit and has nothing to do with the Slavic ethnic groups known as the Sorbs and Serbs.[27]
References
- ↑ Wilson, B. (2018). "Sorbus domestica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018 e.T79921100A119836528. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T79921100A119836528.en.
- ↑ Cameron, Roderick; Griffiths, Rowan (2026). "Cormus domestica (L.) Spach". Trees and Shrubs Online. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
- ↑ Jin, Ze-Tao; Lin, Xiao-Hua; Ma, Dai-Kun; Xie, Si-Yu; Huang, Jia-Xin; Ren, Chen; Zhao, Liang; Duan, Lei; Xu, Chao; Hodel, Richard G. J.; Wu, Jun; Liu, Bin-Bin (2025). "Unravelling the Web of Life: Incomplete Lineage Sorting and Hybridisation as Primary Mechanisms Over Polyploidisation in the Evolutionary Dynamics of Pear Species". Molecular Ecology Resources. 25 (8) e70029. Bibcode:2025MolER..2570029J. doi:10.1111/1755-0998.70029. ISSN 1755-0998. PMID 40797299.
- ↑ Lo, Eugenia Y. Y.; Donoghue, Michael J. (2012-05-01). "Expanded phylogenetic and dating analyses of the apples and their relatives (Pyreae, Rosaceae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 63 (2): 230–243. Bibcode:2012MolPE..63..230L. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.10.005. ISSN 1055-7903. PMID 22293154.
- ↑ Jin, Ze-Tao; Lin, Xiao-Hua; Ma, Dai-Kun; Xie, Si-Yu; Huang, Jia-Xin; Ren, Chen; Zhao, Liang; Duan, Lei; Xu, Chao; Hodel, Richard G. J.; Wu, Jun; Liu, Bin-Bin (2025). "Unravelling the Web of Life: Incomplete Lineage Sorting and Hybridisation as Primary Mechanisms Over Polyploidisation in the Evolutionary Dynamics of Pear Species". Molecular Ecology Resources. 25 (8) e70029. Bibcode:2025MolER..2570029J. doi:10.1111/1755-0998.70029. ISSN 1755-0998. PMID 40797299.
- ↑ Töpel, Mats; Antonelli, Alexandre; Yesson, Chris; Eriksen, Bente (2012-12-07). "Past Climate Change and Plant Evolution in Western North America: A Case Study in Rosaceae". PLOS ONE. 7 (12) e50358. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...750358T. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0050358. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3517582. PMID 23236369.
- ↑ Leroy, Suzanne A.G.; Roiron, Paul (December 1996). "Latest Pliocene pollen and leaf floras from Bernasso palaeolake (Escandorgue Massif, Hérault, France)". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 94 (3–4): 295–328. Bibcode:1996RPaPa..94..295L. doi:10.1016/S0034-6667(96)00016-4.
- ↑ Adroit, Benjamin; Girard, Vincent; Kunzmann, Lutz; Terral, Jean-Frédéric; Wappler, Torsten (2018-06-20). "Plant-insect interactions patterns in three European paleoforests of the late-Neogene—early-Quaternary". PeerJ. 6 e5075. Bibcode:2018PeerJ...6e5075A. doi:10.7717/peerj.5075. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 6015487. PMID 29942705.
- ↑ Adroit, Benjamin; Wappler, Torsten; Terral, Jean-Frederic; Ali, Adam A.; Girard, Vincent (2016-03-15). "Bernasso, a paleoforest from the early Pleistocene: New input from plant–insect interactions (Hérault, France)". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 446: 78–84. Bibcode:2016PPP...446...78A. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.01.015. ISSN 0031-0182.
- ↑ Roiron, Paul (1983-01-01). "Nouvelle étude de la macroflorePlio-Pléistocène de Crespià (Catalogne, Espagne)". Geobios. 16 (6): 687–715. Bibcode:1983Geobi..16..687R. doi:10.1016/S0016-6995(83)80087-4. ISSN 0016-6995.
- 1 2 Denk, Thomas; Sami, Marco; Teodoridis, Vasilis; Martinetto, Edoardo (2022). "The late Early Pleistocene flora of Oriolo, Faenza (Italy): assembly of the modern forest biome". Fossil Imprint. 78 (1): 217–262. doi:10.37520/fi.2022.009. ISSN 2533-4069.
- ↑ Barrón, E.; Diéguez, C. (2001). "Estudio macroflorístico del Mioceno Inferior lacustre de la Cuenca de Rubielos de Mora (Teruel, España)". Boletín Geológico y Minero. 112 (2): 13–56. hdl:10261/183122.
- ↑ Bean (1980), p. 423.
- ↑ Rotach (2003), p. 1.
- ↑ Rushforth, K. (1999). Trees of Britain and Europe. Collins ISBN 0-00-220013-9.
- ↑ Mitchell, A. f. (1974). A Field Guide to the Trees of Britain and Northern Europe, p 280. Collins ISBN 0-00-212035-6
- 1 2 3 4 Hampton, M.; Kay, Q. O. N. (1995). "Sorbus domestica L., new to Wales and the British Isles" (PDF). Watsonia. 20 (4): 379–384. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-12-17.
- ↑ Hampton, M. (1996). "Sorbus domestica L. - comparative morphology and habitats" (PDF). BSBI News. Vol. 73. pp. 32–36. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-07-16.
- ↑ Bennallick, Ian; Pearman, David (2014). "Sorbus domestica (True Service-tree) in Cornwall (v.c.2)" (PDF). BSBI News. Vol. 125. pp. 37–38. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-07-16.
- ↑ The Service Tree. The Tree for a New Europe www.treeforeurope.com, accessed 4 May 2021
- ↑ Groothuis, Marianne (12 October 2012). "Rare tree stands for a century". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ↑ "Museum of Moravian Slovakia". www.slovackemuzeum.cz. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ↑ Hrdousek V. et al: "Oskeruše - strom pro novou Evropu" (tr. "Oskeruše - a tree for a new Europe"). Brazda, Hodonin, 2014, 240 pages; 550 pictures
- ↑ "Logeion". logeion.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
- ↑ "Speierling Sorbus domestica Beschreibung Steckbrief Systematik". www.pflanzen-deutschland.de (in German). Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ↑ "Speierling: Edles Obst für Kenner". Bayerischer Rundfunk (in German). 26 February 2016. Archived from the original on 2021-02-24. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- 1 2 Oxford English Dictionary
Sources
- Bean, W.J. (1980). Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles. Vol. 4 (8 ed.). London: John Murray. ISBN 0-7195-2428-8.
- Rotach, Peter (2003). Service tree Sorbus domestica: Technical guidelines for genetic conservation and use (PDF). EUFORGEN: European Forest Genetic Resources Programme. Rome: International Plant Genetic Resources Institute. ISBN 92-9043-573-9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-06-08.
Further reading
- Wedig Kausch-Blecken von Schmeling: Der Speierling. Verlag Kausch, Bovenden 2000, 184 S.
- Hrdousek V. et al.: The Service Tree. The Tree for a New Europe. Brazda, Hodonin, 2014, 240 pages; 550 pictures
- Sorbus domestica - distribution map, genetic conservation units and related resources. European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN)