Sorbus aucuparia as "Thor's protection". In English folklore, twigs of "S. aucuparia" were believed to ward off evil spirits and witches. The plant was called "the witch" in England and dowsing rods to find ores were made out of its wood. Twigs of "S. aucuparia" were used to drive cattle to the pasture for the first time in spring to ensure their health and fertility. The wooden shafts of forks and other farm implements were constructed from "S. aucuparia", to protect farm animals and production from witches' spells. In weather lore, a year with plentiful rowan fruit would have a good grain
Sorbus torminalis the bark on old trees. The species has sometimes been placed in its own genus, "Torminalis". Recent molecular phylogenetics confirms an earlier taxonomic opinion that the genus "Sorbus" as defined in the broad sense is not monophyletic, but the simple-leafed species traditionally included in "Sorbus" are a monophyletic group; this species would be included in a clade called "Aria" (genus "Aria" or "Sorbus" subgenus "Aria") as the species "Aria torminalis" Beck. It is a sexually reproducing diploid species that forms diploid and polyploid hybrids with members of subgenus "Aria" (whitebeams). A number of often very localised stable apomictic polyploid species