This section is from the book "Sub-Alpine Plants Or Flowers Of The Swiss Woods And Meadows", by H. Stuart Thompson. Also available from Amazon: Sub-Alpine Plants: Or, Flowers of the Swiss Woods and Meadows.
The leaves of the plant figured (4) on Plate XVIII resemble those of this species in being deeply lobed towards the middle; but the large berries are those of S. Aria in being sub-globular rather than oval. The leaves are not so white beneath as in Aria. Godet says (Flore du Jura, 1853) this species is much more like S. hybrida; and remarks that it is commoner on the Jura than Aria, and reaches the Alpine region.
Mountain woods in the Jura, Savoy, Aosta Valley, Pyrenees, Vosges, Scandinavia, Arran.
This well-known tree has pinnate leaves with 6-8 pairs of serrated leaflets; dense-flowered compound cymes and small creamy-white flowers. Berries globose, scarlet with yellow flesh. It reaches 5000 feet in the Alps.
Europe, N. and W. Asia, Japan, N. America.
1. AMELANCHIER VUGARIS.
2. ALNUS VIRIDIS.
3. SAMHUCUS RACEMOSUS.
4. SORBU's ARIA.
5. VACCINIUM ULIGINOSUM.
4/7 NATURAL SIZE.
(Plate XVIII.) A shrub of from 3 to 6 feet high. Leaves ovate, obtuse, finely toothed, white tomentose beneath, but finally glabrous and leathery, blade twice the length of the petiole. Flowers white, in small corymbs. Petals 5, rather long and narrow. Styles 5, united at the base. Ovary inferior. Fruit globular, pulpy, sweet, as large as a large pea, bluish black at maturity.
Rocks, dry hillsides, and stony places in the lower mountains, especially in the south. The bit figured came from above Argentiere, in Savoy, at about 4500 feet. Flowers, April, May; fruit, August, September.
Central and Southern Europe, Western Asia, N. Africa. It seems to prefer limestone hills.