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{{about|the genus Malus|other uses|Malus (disambiguation)}}
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = ''Malus'' - Apples and Crabapples
| image = Malus toringo sargentii0.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = ''Malus sargentii'' flowers
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Rosales]]
| familia = [[Rosaceae]]
| subfamilia = [[Maloideae]]
| genus = '''''Malus'''''
| genus_authority = [[Joseph Pitton de Tournefort|Tourn.]] ex [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
''Malus angustifolia'' - Southern Crab<br>
''Malus baccata'' - Siberian Crabapple<br>
''Malus bracteata''<br>
''Malus brevipes''<br>
''Malus coronaria'' - Sweet Crabapple<br>
''Malus sylvestris domestica'' - Orchard [[Apple]]<br>
''Malus florentina''<br>
''Malus floribunda'' - Japanese Crabapple<br>
''Malus formosana''<br>
''Malus fusca'' - Oregon Crabapple, Pacific Crabapple<br>
''Malus glabrata''<br>
''Malus glaucescens''<br>
''Malus halliana''<br>
''Malus honanensis''<br>
''Malus hupehensis'' - Chinese Crabapple<br>
''Malus ioensis'' - Prairie Crab<br>
''Malus kansuensis''<br>
''Malus lancifolia''<br>
''Malus prattii''<br>
''Malus prunifolia''<br>
''Malus pumila'' syn. ''Malus sylvestris sieversii - synonyms of ''Malus sieversii'', [[Asian Wild Apple]] or Almaty apple<br>
''Malus rockii''<br>
''Malus sargentii''<br>
''Malus sieboldii''<br>
''Malus sieversii'' - [[Malus sieversii|Asian Wild Apple]]<br>
''Malus sikkimensis''<br>
''Malus spectabilis''<br>
''Malus sublobata''<br>
''Malus sylvestris'' - [[Malus sylvestris|European Wild Apple]]<br>
''Malus toringoides''<br>
''Malus transitoria''<br>
''Malus trilobata''<br>
''Malus tschonoskii''<br>
''Malus yunnanensis''<br>
}}
'''''Malus''''', the '''apples''', is a genus of about 30-35 species of small [[deciduous]] [[tree]]s or [[shrub]]s in the family [[Rosaceae]], including the domesticated [[Apple|Orchard Apple]], or Table apple as it was formerly called (''M. sylvestris domestica'', derived from ''M. sylvestris sieversii'', syn. ''M. pumila''). The other species and subspecies are generally known as "wild apples", "crab apples", "crabapples" or "crabs", this name being derived from their small and tart [[fruit]]. Many consider these apples unpalatable, but others enjoy eating them raw or using them for cooking or juicing. Cultivars such as 'Whitney' have been independently domesticated for better fruit quality.
The genus is native to the [[temperate]] zone of the [[Northern Hemisphere]], in [[Europe]], [[Asia]] and [[North America]].
[[Image:Malus sikkimensis0.jpg|left|thumb|''Malus sikkimensis'' fruit]]
Apple trees are small, typically 4-12 m tall at maturity, with a dense, twiggy crown. The [[leaf|leaves]] are 3-10 cm long, alternate, simple, with a serrated margin. The [[flower]]s are borne in [[corymb]]s, and have five [[petal]]s, which may be white, pink or red, and are [[Plant sexuality|perfect]], with usually red stamens that produce copious [[pollen]], and an inferior ovary; flowering occurs in the spring after 50-80 [[growing degree day]]s (varying greatly according to subspecies and cultivar). Apples require cross-pollination between individuals by [[insect]]s (typically [[bee]]s, which freely visit the flowers for both [[nectar]] and [[pollen]]); all are self-sterile, and (with the exception of a few specially developed cultivars) self-pollination is impossible, making pollinating insects essential. The [[honeybee]] and [[mason bee]] are the most effective insect pollinators of apples. ''Malus'' species, including domestic apples, [[hybrid]]ize freely. ''Malus'' species are used as food plants by the [[larva]]e of a large number of [[Lepidoptera]] species; see [[list of Lepidoptera which feed on Malus]].
[[Image:Malus fruit.jpg|left|thumb|Crabapple fruit are mostly red, but some, such as this cultivar 'Golden Hornet', are yellow]]
The [[fruit]] is a globose [[pome]], varying in size from 1-4 cm diameter in most of the wild species, to 6 cm in ''M. sylvestris sieversii'', 8 cm in ''M. sylvestris domestica'', and even larger in certain cultivated orchard apples; among the largest-fruited cultivars (all of which originate in North America) are 'Wolf River' and 'Stark Jumbo' . The centre of the fruit contains five [[carpel]]s arranged star-like, each containing one to two (rarely three) [[seed]]s.
One species, ''Malus trilobata'' from southwest [[Asia]], has three- to seven- lobed leaves (superficially resembling a [[maple]] leaf) and with several structural differences in the fruit; it is often treated in a genus of its own, as ''Eriolobus trilobatus''. <br clear = left>
===Uses===
[[Image:ripe crab apple fruit.jpg|180px|left|thumb|Ripe crabapple fruit]]
For ''Malus sylvestris domestica'', see [[Apple]]. The fruit of the other species is not an important crop in most areas, being extremely sour and (in some species) woody, and is rarely eaten raw for this reason. However, crabapples are an excellent source of [[pectin]], and their juice can be made into a ruby-coloured [[jelly]] with a full, spicy flavour<ref>{{cite book|last=Rombauer|first=I.|authorlink=Irma S. Rombauer|coauthors=Becker, M. R., & Becker, E.|title=All About Canning & Preserving ([[The Joy of Cooking]] series)|publisher=Scribner|location=New York|origyear=2002|pages=p. 72|id=ISBN 0-7432-1502-8}}</ref>. A small percentage of crab apples in [[cider]] makes a more interesting flavour.
Crabapples are widely grown as ornamental trees, grown for their beautiful flowers or fruit, with numerous [[cultivar]]s selected for these qualities and for resistance to disease.
Some crab apples are used as rootstocks for domestic apples to add beneficial characteristics. For example, Siberian crab rootstock is often used to give additional cold hardiness to the combined plant for orchards in cold northern areas.
They are also used as [[pollinator]]s in apple [[orchard]]s. Varieties of crab apple are selected to bloom contemporaneously with the apple variety in an orchard planting, and the crabs are planted every sixth or seventh tree, or limbs of a crab tree are grafted onto some of the apple trees. In emergencies a bucket or drum bouquet of crab apple flowering branches are placed near the beehives as orchard pollenizers. See also [[Fruit tree pollination]].
==References==
*[http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?7215 Germplasm Resources Information Network: ''Malus'']
*[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=119570 Flora of China: ''Malus'']
*[http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/articles/fruits_and_nuts/drescra.html Virginia Cooperative Extension - Disease resistant crabapples]
*[http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/00-011.htm Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food - Crabapple pollenizers for apples]
<references/>
{{Commons|Malus}}
[[Category:Maloideae]]
[[Category:Plants and pollinators]]
{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = ''Malus'' - Apples and Crabapples
| image = Malus toringo sargentii0.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = ''Malus sargentii'' flowers
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Rosales]]
| familia = [[Rosaceae]]
| subfamilia = [[Maloideae]]
| genus = '''''Malus'''''
| genus_authority = [[Joseph Pitton de Tournefort|Tourn.]] ex [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
''Malus angustifolia'' - Southern Crab<br>
''Malus baccata'' - Siberian Crabapple<br>
''Malus bracteata''<br>
''Malus brevipes''<br>
''Malus coronaria'' - Sweet Crabapple<br>
''Malus sylvestris domestica'' - Orchard [[Apple]]<br>
''Malus florentina''<br>
''Malus floribunda'' - Japanese Crabapple<br>
''Malus formosana''<br>
''Malus fusca'' - Oregon Crabapple, Pacific Crabapple<br>
''Malus glabrata''<br>
''Malus glaucescens''<br>
''Malus halliana''<br>
''Malus honanensis''<br>
''Malus hupehensis'' - Chinese Crabapple<br>
''Malus ioensis'' - Prairie Crab<br>
''Malus kansuensis''<br>
''Malus lancifolia''<br>
''Malus prattii''<br>
''Malus prunifolia''<br>
''Malus pumila'' syn. ''Malus sylvestris sieversii - synonyms of ''Malus sieversii'', [[Asian Wild Apple]] or Almaty apple<br>
''Malus rockii''<br>
''Malus sargentii''<br>
''Malus sieboldii''<br>
''Malus sieversii'' - [[Malus sieversii|Asian Wild Apple]]<br>
''Malus sikkimensis''<br>
''Malus spectabilis''<br>
''Malus sublobata''<br>
''Malus sylvestris'' - [[Malus sylvestris|European Wild Apple]]<br>
''Malus toringoides''<br>
''Malus transitoria''<br>
''Malus trilobata''<br>
''Malus tschonoskii''<br>
''Malus yunnanensis''<br>
}}
'''''Malus''''', the '''apples''', is a genus of about 30-35 species of small [[deciduous]] [[tree]]s or [[shrub]]s in the family [[Rosaceae]], including the domesticated [[Apple|Orchard Apple]], or Table apple as it was formerly called (''M. sylvestris domestica'', derived from ''M. sylvestris sieversii'', syn. ''M. pumila''). The other species and subspecies are generally known as "wild apples", "crab apples", "crabapples" or "crabs", this name being derived from their small and tart [[fruit]]. Many consider these apples unpalatable, but others enjoy eating them raw or using them for cooking or juicing. Cultivars such as 'Whitney' have been independently domesticated for better fruit quality.
The genus is native to the [[temperate]] zone of the [[Northern Hemisphere]], in [[Europe]], [[Asia]] and [[North America]].
[[Image:Malus sikkimensis0.jpg|left|thumb|''Malus sikkimensis'' fruit]]
Apple trees are small, typically 4-12 m tall at maturity, with a dense, twiggy crown. The [[leaf|leaves]] are 3-10 cm long, alternate, simple, with a serrated margin. The [[flower]]s are borne in [[corymb]]s, and have five [[petal]]s, which may be white, pink or red, and are [[Plant sexuality|perfect]], with usually red stamens that produce copious [[pollen]], and an inferior ovary; flowering occurs in the spring after 50-80 [[growing degree day]]s (varying greatly according to subspecies and cultivar). Apples require cross-pollination between individuals by [[insect]]s (typically [[bee]]s, which freely visit the flowers for both [[nectar]] and [[pollen]]); all are self-sterile, and (with the exception of a few specially developed cultivars) self-pollination is impossible, making pollinating insects essential. The [[honeybee]] and [[mason bee]] are the most effective insect pollinators of apples. ''Malus'' species, including domestic apples, [[hybrid]]ize freely. ''Malus'' species are used as food plants by the [[larva]]e of a large number of [[Lepidoptera]] species; see [[list of Lepidoptera which feed on Malus]].
[[Image:Malus fruit.jpg|left|thumb|Crabapple fruit are mostly red, but some, such as this cultivar 'Golden Hornet', are yellow]]
The [[fruit]] is a globose [[pome]], varying in size from 1-4 cm diameter in most of the wild species, to 6 cm in ''M. sylvestris sieversii'', 8 cm in ''M. sylvestris domestica'', and even larger in certain cultivated orchard apples; among the largest-fruited cultivars (all of which originate in North America) are 'Wolf River' and 'Stark Jumbo' . The centre of the fruit contains five [[carpel]]s arranged star-like, each containing one to two (rarely three) [[seed]]s.
One species, ''Malus trilobata'' from southwest [[Asia]], has three- to seven- lobed leaves (superficially resembling a [[maple]] leaf) and with several structural differences in the fruit; it is often treated in a genus of its own, as ''Eriolobus trilobatus''. <br clear = left>
===Uses===
[[Image:ripe crab apple fruit.jpg|180px|left|thumb|Ripe crabapple fruit]]
For ''Malus sylvestris domestica'', see [[Apple]]. The fruit of the other species is not an important crop in most areas, being extremely sour and (in some species) woody, and is rarely eaten raw for this reason. However, crabapples are an excellent source of [[pectin]], and their juice can be made into a ruby-coloured [[jelly]] with a full, spicy flavour<ref>{{cite book|last=Rombauer|first=I.|authorlink=Irma S. Rombauer|coauthors=Becker, M. R., & Becker, E.|title=All About Canning & Preserving ([[The Joy of Cooking]] series)|publisher=Scribner|location=New York|origyear=2002|pages=p. 72|id=ISBN 0-7432-1502-8}}</ref>. A small percentage of crab apples in [[cider]] makes a more interesting flavour.
Crabapples are widely grown as ornamental trees, grown for their beautiful flowers or fruit, with numerous [[cultivar]]s selected for these qualities and for resistance to disease.
Some crab apples are used as rootstocks for domestic apples to add beneficial characteristics. For example, Siberian crab rootstock is often used to give additional cold hardiness to the combined plant for orchards in cold northern areas.
They are also used as [[pollinator]]s in apple [[orchard]]s. Varieties of crab apple are selected to bloom contemporaneously with the apple variety in an orchard planting, and the crabs are planted every sixth or seventh tree, or limbs of a crab tree are grafted onto some of the apple trees. In emergencies a bucket or drum bouquet of crab apple flowering branches are placed near the beehives as orchard pollenizers. See also [[Fruit tree pollination]].
==References==
*[http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?7215 Germplasm Resources Information Network: ''Malus'']
*[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=119570 Flora of China: ''Malus'']
*[http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/articles/fruits_and_nuts/drescra.html Virginia Cooperative Extension - Disease resistant crabapples]
*[http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/00-011.htm Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food - Crabapple pollenizers for apples]
<references/>
{{Commons|Malus}}
[[Category:Maloideae]]
[[Category:Plants and pollinators]]
