Malus baccata is an Asian species of Malus known by the common names Siberian crab apple,[ It is native to many parts of Asia, but is also grown elsewhere as an ornamental plant and for rootstock. It is used for bonsai. It bears plentiful, fragrant, white flowers and edible red to yellow fruit of about diameter.
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Description
The trees grow up to high. They have arching or overhanging red-brown branches and red-brown buds. The petioles are long, with few glands. Leaves are elliptical or egg-shaped, . The pedicels are slender and long. They bear white, fragrant flowers of in diameter in groups of four to six. Petals are white and egg-shaped, about 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 and October.[
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Taxonomy
The subordinate taxa include these varieties:
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Malus baccata var. baccata ( tall) – China, Korea, Russia, Mongolia
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Malus baccata var. daochengensis
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Malus baccata var. gracilis () – Gansu and Shaanxi in China
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Malus baccata var. himalaica
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Malus baccata var. jinxianensis
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Malus baccata var. mandshurica (Manchurian crab apple, )
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Malus baccata var. xiaojinensis
Distribution and habitat
The species is native to Russia, Mongolia, China, Korea, Bhutan, India, and Nepal,[ PLANTS Profile for Malus baccata (Siberian crab apple) | USDA PLANTS. Plants.usda.gov (2005-04-04). Retrieved on 2011-02-22.][ Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map]
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[ Malus baccata in Flora of China @. Efloras.org. Retrieved on 2011-02-22.] M. b. var. mandshurica is used for bonsai.
See also
External links
