Malus prunifolia

Malus prunifolia
Malus prunifolia[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Malus
Species:	M. prunifolia
Binomial name
Malus prunifolia (Willd.) Borkh.[2]

Malus prunifolia is a species of apple tree known by the common names pear-leaf and plum-leaf crabapple, Chinese apple and Chinese crabapple.^[3] It is native to China, and is grown elsewhere for use as an ornamental tree or as rootstock. It reaches from between 3 and 8 meters tall and bears white flowers and yellow or red fruit.^[2]

It was described botanically by Willd. in the genus Pyrus, and transferred to Malus in 1803 to produce the nomenclatural treatment used here.^[4]

Range and habitat

Malus prunifolia is found in China in the provinces of Gansu, Guizhou, Hebei, Henan, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, and possibly Xinjiang. It is adapted to grow at a variety elevations from sea-level plains, to slopes as high as 1300 meters.^[2]

Varieties

Malus prunifolia has at least four varieties, some are grown for their fruit:

M. prunifolia var. obliquipedicellata  X.W. Li & J.W. Sun 
M. prunifolia var. prunifolia 
M. prunifolia var. ringo  Asami (Chinese apple) 
M. prunifolia var. rinki  (Koidz.) Rehder P.L.Wilson (plum-leaf or Chinese crabapple) 

list sources :^[3][5][6]

References

1. ^ Cirrus Digital Plum-leaved Crabapple
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Malus prunifolia (Willdenow) Borkhausen". Flora of China. eFloras. p. 184 . http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200010912. Retrieved September 11, 2009. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Search results for: Malus". http://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/nph-ind.cgi?name=Malus&f=d&gl=1&p=1. Retrieved September 11, 2009. 
4. ^ [1] The International Plant Names Index
5. ^ "Name Search : Malus prunifolia". Tropicos. St. Louis, Missouri: Missouri Botanical Garden . http://www.tropicos.org/NameSearch.aspx?name=Malus+prunifolia. Retrieved September 11, 2009. 
6. ^ Michel H. Porcher (May 10, 2005). "Sorting Malus names". Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database. University of Melbourne . http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Malus.html. Retrieved September 11, 2009. 

External links

• GRIN Species Profile
• Flora of China