Article Type: Biological Flora BIOLOGICAL FLORA OF THE BRITISH ISLES* No. 286 List Vasc. Pl. Br. Isles (1992) no. 75, 28, 24 Biological Flora of the British Isles: Sorbus torminalis Peter A. Thomas† School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK Running head: Sorbus torminalis Article †Correspondence author. Email:
[email protected] * Nomenclature of vascular plants follows Stace (2010) and, for non-British species, Flora Europaea. Summary 1. This account presents information on all aspects of the biology of Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz (Wild Service-tree) that are relevant to understanding its ecological characteristics and behaviour. The main topics are presented within the standard framework of the Biological Flora of the British Isles: distribution, habitat, communities, responses to biotic factors, responses to environment, structure and physiology, phenology, floral and seed characters, herbivores and disease, history, and conservation. 2. Sorbus torminalis is an uncommon, mostly small tree (but can reach 33 m) native to lowland England and Wales, and temperate and Mediterranean regions of mainland Europe. It is the most shade-tolerant member of the genus in the British Isles and as a result it is more closely associated with woodland than any other British species. Like other British Sorbus species, however, it grows best where competition for space and sunlight is limited. Seedlings are shade tolerant but adults are only moderately so. This, combined with its low competitive ability, restricts the best growth to open areas. In shade, saplings and young adults form a sapling bank, This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not Accepted been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record.