Sorbus aucuparia Sorbus aucuparia Sorbus aucuparia, commonly called rowan and mountain-ash, is a species of deciduous tree or shrub in the rose family. It is a highly variable species, and botanists have used different definitions of the species to include or exclude trees native to certain areas; a recent definition includes trees native to most of Europe and parts of Asia, as well as northern Africa. The range extends from Madeira and Iceland to Russia and northern China. Unlike many plants with similar distributions, it is not native to Japan. "S. aucuparia" has a slender trunk with smooth bark, a loose and
Burrington Combe as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1952. The calcareous grasslands support a diverse flora which includes Salad burnet ("Sanguisorba minor"), Knapweed ("Centaurea scabiosa" and "Centaurea nigra"), Rock-rose ("Helianthemum nummularium") and Wild thyme ("Thymus praecox"). On the higher, more acidic, slopes Goldenrod ("Solidago virgaurea"), Wood sage ("Teucrium scorodonia") and Common Bent ("Agrostis capillaris") can be found. There are also scrub plants including Hawthorn ("Crataegus monogyna"), Mountain ash ("Sorbus aucuparia"), gorse ("Ulex europaeus") and Elder ("Sambucus nigra"). Several of the caves support bat populations. Geologically it is recognised as a fluvial karst feature which partly intersects a buried and filled