× Amelasorbus
Here labeled as × Amelasorbus raciborskiana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Subfamily:	Amygdaloideae
Tribe:	Maleae
Subtribe:	Malinae
Genus:	× Amelasorbus Rehder
Species:	× A. jackii
Binomial name
× Amelasorbus jackii Rehder

× Amelasorbus is a flowering plant in the family Rosaceae. A naturally occurring hybrid, it is the result of a cross between two distinct tree genera, Amelanchier and Sorbus, and shows phenotypic similarities to both parents.^{[citation needed]} This type of intergeneric hybrid is quite rare, and is indicated by a multiplication symbol before the name. The name Amelasorbus is an example of a portmanteau word, a combination of the two parents' names.

Species

There is only one accepted species, × Amelasorbus jackii, (Jack's amelasorbus) the result of Amelanchier alnifolia × Sorbus scopulina. A specimen was discovered growing in Idaho, and described by Alfred Rehder of the Arnold Arboretum in 1925.^[1] Individuals have also been discovered in Oregon. Due to their hybrid nature, they tend to be quite variable, and this had (mis)led authors to describe other species; × Amelasorbus raciborskiana and × Amelasorbus hoseri, which may or may not be synonyms.

References