Caucasus apple
| Caucasus apple | ||||||||||||
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Caucasian apple ( Malus orientalis ) |
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| Malus orientalis | ||||||||||||
| Uglitzk. |
The Caucasus apple or Orient apple ( Malus orientalis ) is a deciduous tree -type from the genus of apples ( Malus ) in the family of Rosaceae (Rosaceae).
description
The characteristics of the Caucasus apple are very variable. It is a tree that reaches a height of around 9 to 12, rarely up to 20 meters. It usually has no thorns. The leaves are broadly oval to ovate-lanceolate, the underside of the leaf is hairy. Its fruits are yellowish green, spherical and measure 2 to 3 cm in diameter. They are sweet to sour, but often bitter and astringent. The calyx has adherent, short, 10 to 25 mm long, densely hairy stems.
distribution
The homeland of the Caucasus apple is in northern Anatolia , northern Iran and the Caucasus , to the north the area extends to the Volga and Crimea. It occurs in mountain forests on the edge of the forest and on river banks, where it inhabits sunny places. It tolerates dry as well as slightly salty soils.
Systematics, stem form of the cultivated apple
According to genetic studies, the Caucasus apple is the second most important ancestor of the cultivated apple , but has a lesser influence than the Asian wild apple ( Malus sieversii ). One suspects a natural intersection along the historic Silk Road .
Two varieties have been described that come from higher mountain regions:
- Malus orientalis var. Montana (Uglitzk.) Langenf.
- Malus orientalis var. Subalpina Ponomar.
use
Although it is a wild form, the fruits are mostly used in processed form, for example cooked, as juice or jam. The seedlings serve as a base for cultivated apples. The apple is prone to scab and fire blight and , depending on its origin, also to powdery mildew .
supporting documents
Most of the information in this article comes from:
- Peter A. Schmidt: Trees and bushes of the Caucasus . In: Communications of the German Dendrological Society . No. 91. Ulmer, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-8001-8326-9 , p. 29 .
- Elke Mattheus-Staack, Jochen Veser, Manfred Fischer, Hans-Joachim Albrecht, Martin Geibel: Knowledge for allotment gardeners - compact . Ulmer, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-8001-5732-7 , pp. 448 .
The following are also cited:
- ↑ a b P. Hanelt & IPK (ed.): Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops ( online ).
