Sorbus aucuparia and flexible wood has traditionally been used for woodworking. It is planted to fortify soil in mountain regions or as an ornamental tree and has several cultivars. The binomial name "Sorbus aucuparia" is composed of the Latin words "sorbus" for service tree and "aucuparia", which derives from the words "avis" for "bird" and "capere" for "catching" and describes the use of the fruit of "S. aucuparia" as bait for fowling. The plant is commonly known as rowan and mountain-ash, and has also been called Amur mountain-ash, European mountain-ash, quick beam, quickbeam, or rowan-berry. The names rowan and mountain ash may
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