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Rose family (Rosaceae)
Tree or shrub reaching 15 m in height, and living to 60 years. Leaves 6-12(15) cm long, elliptical to ovate, fine-toothed, deeply-lined and non-shiny. Lateral veins link up near leaf margins. Flowers, damaged leaves and bark all have unpleasant odour. Flowers white, hermaphrodite, clustered. Hanging infructescence comprises spherical black drupes 6-8 mm in diameter and maturing in Jul.-Aug. Flowering takes place in May.
Grows on fertile and moist soils, mainly in riparian forests, as well as alder forest with currants. Fruit helps sustain more than 30 species of forest animal. Also used by people in preserves, and considered to have medicinal properties.
Descriptions devised by the team at the Independent Department of Forest Botany, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, i.e. L. Witkowska-Żuk, K. Marciszewska, W. Ciurzycki, A. Obidziński and P. Zaniewski
