# Aria (plant)

Aria is a genus of plant in the rose family Rosaceae. It includes some of the deciduous species commonly known as whitebeams, and is native to Europe, the north African mountains and western Asia. Via hybridisation with related genera, it is a main contributor to the genesis of a complex of apomicts of intergeneric hybrid origin, which are also commonly referred to as whitebeams.

## Description

Whitebeams of the genus Aria are small to medium-sized bushes or trees. The leaves are simple and almost white on the underside. The leaf margins are often serrated. While some species such as common whitebeam (Aria edulis) may grow into sizeable trees of up to 25 m (82 ft) height, many species (such as rock whitebeam, Aria rupicola) stay bushy. They bear corymbs of white flowers in spring, and the small, colourful pome fruits ripen in late summer.

## Whitebeam apomicts

Hybridisation events between at least one member of genus Aria and at least one member of at least one different genus in the subtribe Malinae have led to a complex of apomictic microspecies in Europe and western Asia, whose classification has been unclear for decades. Traditionally, they and their parent genera were commonly treated as subgenera of a large genus Sorbus s.l., however, this system was found to be polyphyletic. In 2017, a system was proposed and then widely adopted that classifies these microspecies into separate genera according to their parentage, and elevates all former subgenera of Sorbus s.l into genera.
* Hedlundia - Aria × Sorbus hybrids
* Karpatiosorbus - Aria × Torminalis hybrids
* Majovskya - Aria × Chamaemespilus hybrids
* Scandosorbus - syn. Borkhausenia; Aria × Sorbus × Torminalis hybrids
* Normeyera - Aria × Chamaemespilus × Sorbus hybrids

## Distribution and species

The genus Aria is distributed across much of Europe, western Asia and the Atlas Mountains in north Africa. Although the genus is relatively species-rich, only a few species are widely distributed, notably common whitebeam, Balkan whitebeam (A. graeca) and A. umbellata. In contrast, many species are endemic to only a particular region, or to only one site. As of January 2025, Plants of the World Online recognises the following 58 species in the genus Aria:
* Aria arvonicola (P.D.Sell) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria avonensis (T.C.G.Rich) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria baldaccii (C.K.Schneid.) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria busambarensis (G.Castellano, P.Marino, Raimondo & Spadaro) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria cambrensis (M.Proctor) Sennikov & Kurtto - Welsh whitebeam
* Aria cheddarensis (L.Houston & Ashley Robertson) Sennikov & Kurtto - Cheddar whitebeam
* Aria colchica (Zinserl.) Mezhenskyj
* Aria collina (M.Lepší, P.Lepší & N.Mey.) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria cucullifera (M.Lepší & P.Lepší) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria danubialis (Jáv.) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria edulis (Willd.) M.Roem.
* Aria eminens (E.F.Warb.) Sennikov & Kurtto - Round-leaved whitebeam
* Aria eminentiformis (T.C.G.Rich) Sennikov & Kurtto - Doward whitebeam
* Aria eminentoides (L.Houston) Sennikov & Kurtto - Twin Cliffs whitebeam
* Aria evansii (T.C.G.Rich) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria graeca (Lodd. ex Spach) M.Roem. - Balkan whitebeam
* Aria greenii (T.C.G.Rich) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria herefordensis (D.Green) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria hibernica (E.F.Warb.) Sennikov & Kurtto - Irish whitebeam
* Aria hungarica (Bornm.) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria javorkana (Somlyay, Sennikov & Vojtkó) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria keszthelyensis (Somlyay & Sennikov) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria lancastriensis (E.F.Warb.) Sennikov & Kurtto- Lancastrian whitebeam
* Aria leighensis (T.C.G.Rich) Sennikov & Kurtto - Leigh Woods whitebeam
* Aria × leptophylla (E.F.Warb.) Sennikov & Kurtto - Thin-leaved whitebeam
* Aria madoniensis (Raimondo, G.Castellano, Bazan & Schicchi) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria margaretae (M.Proctor) Sennikov & Kurtto - Margaret's whitebeam
* Aria meridionalis (Guss. ex Tod.) Raimondo & Greuter
* Aria moravica (M.Lepší & P.Lepší) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria obtusifolia (Ser.) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria orbiculata (Gabrieljan) Gabrieljan
* Aria pannonica (Kárpáti) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria parviloba (T.C.G.Rich) Sennikov & Kurtto - Ship Rock whitebeam
* Aria phitosiana Raimondo & Greuter
* Aria pontis-satanae (M.Lepší & P.Lepší) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria porrigentiformis (E.F.Warb.) Sennikov & Kurtto - Grey-leaved whitebeam
* Aria richii (L.Houston) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria × robertsonii (T.C.G.Rich) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria rupicola (Syme) Mezhenskyj - Rock whitebeam
* Aria rupicoloides (L.Houston & T.G.C.Rich) Sennikov & Kurtto - Gough's Rock whitebeam
* Aria saxicola (T.C.G.Rich) Sennikov & Kurtto - Symonds Yat whitebeam
* Aria spectans (L.Houston) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria stankovii (Juz.) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria stenophylla (M.Proctor) Sennikov & Kurtto - Llanthony whitebeam
* Aria stirtoniana (T.C.G.Rich) Sennikov & Kurtto - Stirton's whitebeam
* Aria subdanubialis (Soó) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria taurica (Zinserl.) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria tergestina (H.Lindb.) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria thaiszii (Soó) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria thayensis (M.Lepší & P.Lepší) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria ujhelyii (Somlyay & Sennikov) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria ulmifolia (Kárpáti) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria umbellata (Desf.) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria vajdae (Boros) Sennikov & Kurtto
* Aria vexans (E.F.Warb.) Sennikov & Kurtto - Bloody whitebeam
* Aria whiteana (T.C.G.Rich & L.Houston) Sennikov & Kurtto - White's whitebeam
* Aria wilmottiana (E.F.Warb.) Sennikov & Kurtto - Wilmott's whitebeam
* Aria yuarguta H.Ohashi & Iketani
* Aria zolyomii (Soó) Sennikov & Kurtto