''Pyrus'' × ''bretschneideri'' (or ''Pyrus'' ''bretschneideri''), the ya pear or pearple or Chinese white pear (), is an interspecific

hybrid species Hybrid speciation is a form of speciation where hybridization between two different species leads to a new species, reproductively isolated from the parent species. Previously, reproductive isolation between two species and their parents was tho ...

pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the p ...

native to

North China North China, or Huabei () is a geographical region of China, consisting of the provinces of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia. Part of the larger region of Northern China (''Beifang''), it lies north of the Qinling–Huai ...

, where it is widely grown for its edible

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...

. Recent molecular genetic evidence confirms some relationship to the Siberian pear (''

Pyrus ussuriensis ''Pyrus ussuriensis'', also known as the Ussurian pear, Harbin pear, and Manchurian pear, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae. It is native to Korea, Japan, and the Ussuri River area of far eastern Russia. It has flowers in ...

''), but it can also be classified as a subspecies of the Chinese pear ''

Pyrus pyrifolia ''Pyrus pyrifolia'' is a species of pear tree native to East Asia. The tree's edible fruit is known by many names, including: Asian pear, Japanese pear, Chinese pear, Korean pear, Taiwanese pear, apple pear, zodiac pear, three-halves pear, p ...

''. Along with cultivars of ''P. pyrifolia'' and ''P. ussuriensis'', the fruit is also called the nashi pear. These very juicy, white to light yellow pears, unlike the round Nashi pears (''P. pyrifolia'') that are also grown in eastern

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...

, are shaped more like the European pear (''

Pyrus communis ''Pyrus communis'', the common pear, is a species of pear native to central and eastern Europe, and western Asia. It is one of the most important fruits of temperate regions, being the species from which most orchard pear cultivars grown in Eu ...

''), narrow towards the stem end. The “Ya Li” (), literally "duck pear" due to its mallard-like shape, is one cultivar widely grown in China and exported around the world. Ya pears taste similar to a mild

Bosc pear The Beurre Bosc or Bosc is a cultivar of the European pear (''Pyrus communis''), originally from France or Belgium. Also known as the Kaiser, it is grown in Europe, Australia, British Columbia and Ontario, Canada, and the northwestern U.S. state ...

, but are crisp, with a higher water content and lower sugar content.

Further hybridization

Breeding programs have created

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s that are the products of further hybridizing ''P.'' ×''bretschneideri'' with ''P. pyrifolia''. Under the

International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants The ''International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants'' (ICN) is the set of rules and recommendations dealing with the formal botanical names that are given to plants, fungi and a few other groups of organisms, all those "trad ...

, such

backcross Backcrossing is a crossing of a hybrid with one of its parents or an individual genetically similar to its parent, to achieve offspring with a genetic identity closer to that of the parent. It is used in horticulture, animal breeding, and produ ...

hybrids are named within the species ''P.'' ×''bretschneideri''. Cultivar 'PremP109', also called 'Prem 109', is such a hybrid, marketed under the

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from oth ...

Papple.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pyrus bretschneideri Flora of Xinjiang Fruits originating in East Asia Hybrid fruit Pear cultivars bretschneideri Interspecific plant hybrids