Sorbus insignis (Hook. fil.) Hedl.

Trees, rarely shrubs, to 10–15 m tall. Branchlets reddish brown when young, grayish brown when old, terete, rusty brown tomentose when young, glabrous when old, with elliptic lenticels 2–4 mm; buds narrowly ovoid, 1–1.8 cm × 7–12 mm, apex shortly acuminate or acute; scales several, brownish, initially puberulent, glabrate. Leaves imparipinnate, together with rachis 20–30 cm; petiole 1.7–4 cm; stipules persistent, suborbicular, 1–2 cm, sometimes lobed; rachis slightly winged, sulcate, sparsely tomentose, glabrous when old; leaflet blades 3–5(or 6) pairs, at intervals of 1–2(–3) cm, dark green adaxially, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, (6–)10–15(–20) × 2–4(–5) cm, abaxially glaucous, lateral veins 24–30 pairs, arching and anastomosing at margin, both surfaces tomentose when young, glabrescent, base rounded or obliquely cordate, margin slightly revolute and shallowly crenate, apex obtuse. Inflorescences 10–15 cm in diam., densely flowered; rachis and pedicels sparsely pubescent, with large lenticels; bracts linear-subulate. Flowers 6–8 mm in diam. Hypanthium campanulate, 1–1.3 mm, abaxially ± pubescent. Sepals triangular, with reddish dentate glands along margin, glabrous or somewhat puberulous. Petals dull white, suborbicular, ca. 3 mm in diam. Stamens ca. 20, nearly as long as or slightly shorter than petals. Styles 2 or 3, to 2.5 mm, glabrous. Fruit white or crimson, globose or ovoid-globose, 5–8 mm in diam., glabrous, 2- or 3-loculed, with large lenticels and persistent erect sepals. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Sep–Oct. 2n = 34.

E. Himalaya (E. Nepal, Sikkim), Naga Hills, Burma.

E Xizang, NW Yunnan [NE India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim].

2800-3000 m

Broad-leaved forests, rocky slopes; 2500--4000 m.

Pyrus insignis J. D. Hooker, Fl. Brit. India 2: 377. 1878; P. harrowiana I. B. Balfour & W. W. Smith; Sorbus harrowiana (I. B. Balfour & W. W. Smith) Rehder.