Pyrus

• Authority

  Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

• Family

  Rosaceae

• Scientific Name

  Pyrus

• Description

  Genus Description - Hypanthium globose to obovoid; sep 5, ascending to spreading or recurved; pet 5, pink to white, elliptic to obovate, short-clawed; stamens 15–50, shorter than the pet; ovary inferior, 3–5-locular, the styles separate or connate below; fr a fleshy pome, each locule normally with 2 seeds; trees or shrubs, sometimes thorny, with simple, alternate, toothed or lobed lvs and large fls in the spring in simple umbels or umbel-like clusters on dwarf lateral branches (fr-spurs); x=17. Our native spp. hybridize with each other and with P. malus, and many specimens are hard to identify. Many cult. crab-apples are of hybrid origin. 60, N. Temp.

• Common Names

  apple, crab-apple, pear