Aria meierottii

Aria meierottii
Aria meierottii in the southern Franconian Jura
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Aria
Species:
A. meierottii
Binomial name
Aria meierottii
(N.Mey.) Mosyakin, Fedor. & McNeill
     It is endemic to Bavaria, Germany
Synonyms
  • Karpatiosorbus meierottii (N.Mey.) Sennikov & Kurtto
  • Pyrus meierottii (N.Mey.) M.F.Fay & Christenh.
  • Sorbus meierottii N.Mey.

Aria meierottii is an apomictic species of tree in the family Rosaceae endemic to Bavaria, Germany. It is extremely rare and threatened with extinction.

Description

Aria meierottii in the southern Franconian Jura
Aria meierottii foliage

Vegetative characteristics

Aria meierottii is an up to 8 m tall, calcicolous: 649  tree or shrub with elliptic, slightly lobed leaves with broadly cuneate to nearly rounded leaf bases. The 9 cm long, and 6.5 cm wide leaves of the long twigs have 9–10 pairs of lateral veins, which are set 7–9 mm apart.

Generative characteristics

The flowers have two partially fused styles. The reddish orange, globose, 12–13 mm wide accessory fruit bears numerous grey, 0.5–0.7 mm big lenticels.

Cytology

The chromosome count is 2n = 4x = 68 or 2n = 5x = 85.

Taxonomy

It was first described as Sorbus meierottii N.Mey. in 2005. It was moved to the genus Aria (Pers.) J.Jacq. ex Host as Aria meierottii (N.Mey.) Mosyakin, Fedor. & McNeill by Sergei Leonidovich Mosyakin, Mykola Mykhaylovych Fedoronchuk, and John McNeill in 2025. The type specimen was collected by H. Schuwerk and O. Angerer on a forest edge at a hill near Wellheim, Germany on the 18 of June 2001.

Etymology

The specific epithet meierottii honours the German botanist Lenz Meierott.

Distribution and habitat

It is endemic to Wellheim in Bavaria, Germany, where it occurs in a small area of only 17 km2 on the margins of deciduous forest and on rocks at elevations of 400–500 m above sea level.

Conservation

It is a critically endangered species with a small population of only 20 saplings and 40 mature trees. It is cultivated in the ex situ conservation collection of the Botanischer Garten der Universität Regensburg.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Beech, E., Meyer, N. & Rivers, M.C. 2017. Sorbus meierottii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T86096051A86134703. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T86096051A86134703.en. Accessed on 01 October 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Aria meierottii (N.Mey.) Mosyakin, Fedor. & McNeill. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77371500-1
  3. ↑ Sorbus meierottii N. Mey. Meierotts Mehlbeere. (n.d.). Botanischer Informationsknoten Bayern. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://daten.bayernflora.de/de/info_pflanzen.php?taxnr=26240
  4. ↑ Sorbus meierottii N. Mey. (2026, January 14). Rote Liste Zentrum. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://www.rote-liste-zentrum.de/detailseite/?species_uuid=3ab8a5e3-5353-4553-b4d2-2301c5ba8bb7&species_organismGroup=Farn-%20und%20Bl%C3%BCtenpflanzen&q=Sorbus%20meierottii
  5. ↑ Hassler, M., Muer, T. (2024). Flora Germanica: Alle Farn- und Blütenpflanzen Deutschlands in Text und Bild. Band 1-3. Germany: Verlag Regionalkultur.
  6. 1 2 3 Meyer, T. (n.d.). Wellheimer Mehlbeere (Sorbus meierottii N. Meyer). Blumen in Schwaben. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://www.blumeninschwaben.de/Zweikeimblaettrige/Rosengewaechse/altmuehl.htm#Wellheimer%20Mehlbeere
  7. ↑ Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung. (n.d.). Sorbus meierottii N. Mey. Chromosomenzahlen Zur Flora Von Deutschland. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://chromosomes.senckenberg.de/item/22791
  8. ↑ Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung. (n.d.-b). Sorbus meierottii N. Mey. Chromosomenzahlen Zur Flora Von Deutschland. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://chromosomes.senckenberg.de/item/22790
  9. 1 2 Sorbus meierottii N.Mey. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://www.ipni.org/n/77070669-1
  10. ↑ Mosyakin, S. L., Fedoronchuk, M. M., & McNEILL, J. (2025). Simplifying the nomenclature of Sorbus sensu lato: new nomenclatural solutions in Aria and Hedlundia (Rosaceae). Ukrainian Botanical Journal, 82(3), 206-224.
  11. ↑ Aria meierottii (N.Mey.) Mosyakin, Fedor. & McNeill. (n.d.). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://www.ipni.org/n/77371500-1
  12. ↑ Blaich, G. (n.d.). Sorbus meierottii  N.MEY. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://guenther-blaich.de/pflseite.php?par=Sorbus+meierottii&abs=pflfmros&lan=x&grp=a
  13. ↑ Botanische Gärten und andere Halter. (n.d.). Verband Botanischer Gärten. Retrieved October 1, 2026, from https://www.verband-botanischer-gaerten.de/Arbeitsgruppen/Botanischer_Artenschutz/Botanische_Gaerten_und_andere_Halter.html