Malus

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Malus

Malus (/ˈmeɪləs/), from the Latin word for apple, is a genus of about 30–55 species of small deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae, including the domesticated orchard apple (M. domestica). The other species are commonly known as crabapples, crab apples, crabtrees, or wild apples.

Etymology

The name Malus comes from the Latin word for apple, and is related to the ancient Greek μᾶλον (mālon), also meaning apple. The word has been used in the botanical nomenclature for this genus since the time of the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder.

Description

The genus is native to the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere. Malus species are small, deciduous trees or shrubs. The leaves are alternately arranged simple ovals. They are borne singly, or in pairs, on spur-like, two-leaved, lateral branchlets. The flowers are borne in corymbs, and have five petals, which may be white, pink or red, and are perfect, with usually red stamens that produce copious pollen, and a half-inferior ovary; flowering occurs in the spring after 50–80 growing degree days.

Species

The genus Malus includes a number of species, including the domesticated orchard apple (M. domestica), as well as a variety of wild species, commonly known as crabapples. These include M. sieversii, the wild ancestor of the domesticated apple, and M. sylvestris, the European crabapple.

Related Terms

  • Rosaceae: The family to which the genus Malus belongs.
  • Deciduous: A term referring to trees or shrubs that shed their leaves annually.
  • Corymb: A type of flower cluster in which the individual flower stalks grow upward from various points on the main stem to approximately the same height.
  • Stamen: The pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower.

External links

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