''Malus baccata'' is an Asian species of

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

known by the common names Siberian crab apple, Siberian crab, Manchurian crab apple and Chinese crab apple. It is native to much of northern Asia, but is also grown elsewhere as an ornamental tree and for

rootstock A rootstock is part of a plant, often an underground part, from which new above-ground growth can be produced. It could also be described as a stem with a well developed root system, to which a bud from another plant is grafted. It can refer to a ...

. It is used for bonsai. It bears plentiful fragrant white flowers and edible red to yellow fruit of about diameter.

Description

The trees grow up to high. They have arching or overhanging red-brown branches and red-brown buds. Petioles are long, with few glands. Leaves are elliptic or egg-shaped, .

Pedicels In botany, a pedicel is a stem that attaches a single flower to the inflorescence. Such inflorescences are described as ''pedicellate''. Description Pedicel refers to a structure connecting a single flower to its inflorescence. In the absenc ...

are slender and long. They bear white fragrant flowers of in diameter which groups by 4–6. Petals are white and egg-shaped, approximately long. Fruits are red to yellow and spherical, only about in diameter; they form dense clusters and resemble cherries from a distance. Flowering occurs in spring, with fruits appearing in September–October.

Taxonomy

The subordinate taxa include the followin

varieties Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

: *''Malus baccata'' var. ''baccata'' ( tall) – China, Korea, Russia, Mongolia *''Malus baccata'' var. ''daochengensis'' *''Malus baccata'' var. ''gracilis'' () – Gansu and

Shaanxi Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), N ...

in China *''Malus baccata'' var. ''himalaica'' *''Malus baccata'' var. ''jinxianensis'' * ''Malus baccata'' var. ''mandshurica'' (Manchurian crab apple, ) *''Malus baccata'' var. ''xiaojinensis''

Distribution and habitat

The species is native to

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

, China,

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

Bhutan Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainou ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and

Nepal Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...

, where it is common to mixed forests on hilly slopes at elevations up to . The tree is found in Japan, and it has also been introduced to Europe and to North America, where it is found in the wild mostly in the

Great Lakes Region The Great Lakes region of North America is a binational Canadian–American region that includes portions of the eight U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin along with the Canadian p ...

and in the Northeastern United States.

Uses

The species is used as ornament for its flowers and fruit. The fruits are edible and are eaten fresh or dried. It is one of the tallest and most resistant to cold and pest species of its genus, and is thus used for experimental breeding and grafting of other crabapples and domesticated

s. In particular, it is a common genetic source for ''M. pumila'' and '' M. asiatica'' in northern and north-eastern China.Malus baccata in Flora of China @
Efloras.org. Retrieved on 2011-02-22. ''M. baccata'' var. ''mandshurica'' is used for bonsai.

References

External links