''Pyrus phaeocarpa'', the dusky pear or orange pear, is a species of flowering plant in the family

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus '' Rosa''. The family includes herbs, shrubs, and trees. Most species are deciduous, but som ...

, native to the

Loess Plateau The Loess Plateau is a plateau in north-central China formed of loess, a clastic rock, clastic silt-like sediment formed by the accumulation of Dust#Atmospheric, wind-blown dust. It is located southeast of the Gobi Desert and is surrounded by t ...

of northern China. A wide tree reaching at most in height, it is hardy to USDA zone 5, or perhaps even zone 4. Its small yellow to brown fruit are edible, and its Autumn foliage is bright orange to orange-red, giving it good potential as an ornamental. Its chloroplast genome shows that it is closely related to ''

Pyrus pashia ''Pyrus pashia'', the wild Himalayan pear, is a small to medium size deciduous tree of the small and oval shaped crown with ovate, finely toothed leaves, attractive white flowers with red anthers and small pear-like fruits. It is a fruit bearing ...

'', the wild Himalayan pear, and it is suspected to be a hybrid of '' P.betulifolia'', the birchleaf pear, '' P.pyrifolia'', the apple pear, and '' P.ussuriensis'', the Manchurian pear.

References

phaeocarpa Trees of China Endemic flora of China Flora of Xinjiang Flora of North-Central China Plants described in 1915 {{Pyrus-stub