Aria perlonga

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

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

Description

Flowering Aria perlonga growing in Mainfranken, Germany
Abaxial surface of Aria perlonga leaf

Vegetative characteristics

Aria perlonga is a 5–10 m tall tree. The abaxial leaf surface is pubescent. The petiole is 2–2.5 cm long.

Generative characteristics

The inflorescence bears 25–30 white flowers. The white petals are faintly pubescent on the adaxial surface. The oval, yellow-orange accessory fruit bears few lenticels.

Cytology

The chromosome count is 2n = 3x = 51. It is triploid.

Taxonomy

It was first described as Sorbus perlonga Meierott by Lenz Meierott in 2005. It was moved to the genus Aria (Pers.) J.Jacq. ex Host as Aria perlonga (Meierott) Mosyakin, Fedor. & McNeill by Sergei Leonidovich Mosyakin, Mykola Mykhaylovych Fedoronchuk, and John McNeill in 2025. The type specimen was collected on the 18th of May 2001 by N. Meyer, L. Meierott, and O. Angerer in Oberleinach, Germany.

Etymology

The specific epithet perlonga means very long.

Distribution and habitat

Aria perlonga is endemic to a small area of only 12 km2 west of Würzburg, Bavaria, Germany, where it occurs in open pine forest and on the edges of deciduous forest at elevations of 250–350 meters above sea level. Another population near Trimburg has probably gone extinct.

Conservation

It is a critically endangered species with a small population of only 30 saplings and 40 mature trees restricted to a small area. It is cultivated in three ex situ conservation collections.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Beech, E., Meyer, N. & Rivers, M.C. 2017. Sorbus perlonga. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T86096929A86134723. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T86096929A86134723.en. Accessed on 03 September 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Aria perlonga (Meierott) Mosyakin, Fedor. & McNeill. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved September 3, 2026, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77371524-1
  3. 1 2 Blaich, G. (n.d.). Sorbus perlonga  MEIEROTT. Retrieved September 3, 2026, from https://guenther-blaich.de/pflseite.php?par=Sorbus+perlonga&abs=pflfmros&lan=x&grp=a
  4. 1 2 Sorbus perlonga Meierott Langblättrige Mehlbeere. (n.d.). Botanischer Informationsknoten Bayern. Retrieved September 3, 2026, from https://daten.bayernflora.de/de/info_pflanzen.php?taxnr=26242
  5. 1 2 Meyer, T. (n.d.). Langblättrige Mehlbeere (Sorbus perlonga Meierott). Blumen in Schwaben. Retrieved September 3, 2026, from https://www.blumeninschwaben.de/Zweikeimblaettrige/Rosengewaechse/blatt_unregel.htm#Langbl%C3%A4ttrige%20Mehlbeere
  6. ↑ Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung. (n.d.). Sorbus perlonga Meierott. Chromosomenzahlen Zur Flora Von Deutschland. Retrieved September 3, 2026, from https://chromosomes.senckenberg.de/item/20961
  7. 1 2 Sorbus perlonga Meierott. (n.d.-b). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved September 3, 2026, from https://www.ipni.org/n/77070674-1
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ Aria perlonga (Meierott) Mosyakin, Fedor. & McNeill. (n.d.-b). International Plant Names Index. Retrieved September 3, 2026, from https://www.ipni.org/n/77371524-1
  10. ↑ Sorbus perlonga Meierott. (n.d.). BGCI PlantSearch. Retrieved September 3, 2026, from https://plantsearch.bgci.org/taxon/190840