Sorbus esserteauiana Koehne

Shrubs or trees, 5–10(–14) m tall. Branchlets gray or brownish gray, terete, grayish white tomentose when young, gradually glabrescent, with minute lenticels; buds narrowly ovoid or oblong-ovoid, 0.8–1.2(–1.4) cm × 5–9 mm, apex acute to shortly acuminate; scales several, dark brown, grayish white tomentose. Leaves imparipinnate, together with rachis 15–26 cm; petiole 4–5 cm; stipules semiorbicular, 1–2 cm in diam., margin coarsely serrate; rachis shallowly sulcate adaxially, initially grayish white tomentose, with few remaining hairs when old; leaflets 5 or 6 pairs, at intervals of 2–3.5 cm, blades dark green adaxially, elliptic, oblong-elliptic, or oblong-lanceolate, 5–9 × 2–3 cm, basal ones smaller, lateral veins 12–16 pairs, arcuate-anastomosing, abaxially prominent and adaxially deeply impressed, abaxially persistently densely grayish white tomentose, adaxially glabrous, base rounded or obliquely cordate, margin sharply minutely serrate, 8–20-toothed per side, entire near base, apex acuminate. Inflorescences 7–12 × 10–18 cm, densely flowered; rachis and pedicels densely grayish white tomentose when young, glabrescent; bracts smaller than stipules. Pedicel 1–3 mm. Hypanthium campanulate, abaxially tomentose. Sepals triangular, 1.5–2.5 mm, sparsely tomentose or glabrous near apex, apex acute or ± obtuse. Petals white, ovate or suborbicular, 3–3.5 × 2.5–3 mm, glabrous, apex obtuse. Stamens 20, ca. as long as petals. Styles 3 or 4, not exceeding stamens, tomentose basally. Fruit red, globose, 5–7 mm in diam., pubescent when young, glabrous when mature; sepals persistent; seeds brownish, reniform, 2–3.5 mm. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Aug–Sep. 2n = 34*.

W Sichuan.

Mountain thickets, cliffs; 1700--3000 m.

Sorbus conradinae Koehne.

Sorbus esserteauana, commonly known as Esserteau's rowan, is a species of rowan. It is a small tree, typically 5–10 metres (16–33 ft) tall growing in mountain thickets and cliffs. It is an endemic species to China, being only found in western Sichuan. It has small white flowers and small red berries that are actually a pome fruit. Unlike all other species of Sorbus, the fruit are hard and inedible to humans, but they are eaten by birds that scatter the seeds. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens and parks for its decorative fruit and because it attracts birds.

When published the epithet was written as "esserteauiana". However, according to ICBN (Vienna Code) Art. 60.11 and 60C.1(c), the connecting vowel -i- in it is unnecessary and thus must be deleted.