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Apple

The apple is a widely cultivated fruit produced by the apple tree (Malus domestica), originating from Central Asia. There are over 7,500 cultivars of apples, which vary in taste and use, and they are propagated through clonal grafting for commercial purposes. The apple tree is a deciduous species, characterized by its size, shape, and flowering process, and has significant cultural and historical importance across various civilizations.

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6 views1 page

Apple

The apple is a widely cultivated fruit produced by the apple tree (Malus domestica), originating from Central Asia. There are over 7,500 cultivars of apples, which vary in taste and use, and they are propagated through clonal grafting for commercial purposes. The apple tree is a deciduous species, characterized by its size, shape, and flowering process, and has significant cultural and historical importance across various civilizations.

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johnphunjali
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (Malus spp.).

Fruit
trees of the orchard or domestic apple (Malus domestica), the most widely grown in
the genus, are cultivated worldwide. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its
wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found. Apples have been grown for
thousands of years in Eurasia before they were introduced to North America by
European colonists. Apples have cultural significance in many mythologies
(including Norse and Greek) and religions (such as Christianity in Europe).

Apples grown from seed tend to be very different from those of their parents, and
the resultant fruit frequently lacks desired characteristics. For commercial
purposes, including botanical evaluation, apple cultivars are propagated by clonal
grafting onto rootstocks. Apple trees grown without rootstocks tend to be larger
and much slower to fruit after planting. Rootstocks are used to control the speed
of growth and the size of the resulting tree, allowing for easier harvesting.

There are more than 7,500 cultivars of apples. Different cultivars are bred for
various tastes and uses, including cooking, eating raw, and cider or apple juice
production. Trees and fruit are prone to fungal, bacterial, and pest problems,
which can be controlled by a number of organic and non-organic means. In 2010, the
fruit's genome was sequenced as part of research on disease control and selective
breeding in apple production.

Etymology
The word apple, whose Old English ancestor is æppel, is descended from the Proto-
Germanic noun *aplaz, descended in turn from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ébōl.[3] As
late as the 17th century, the word also functioned as a generic term for all fruit,
including nuts. This can be compared to the 14th-century Middle English expression
appel of paradis, meaning a banana.[4]

Description
The apple is a deciduous tree, generally standing 2 to 4.5 metres (6 to 15 feet)
tall in cultivation and up to 15 m (49 ft) in the wild, though more typically 2 to
10 m (6.5 to 33 ft).[5][1] When cultivated, the size, shape and branch density are
determined by rootstock selection and trimming method.[5] Apple trees may naturally
have a rounded to erect crown with a dense canopy of leaves.[6] The bark of the
trunk is dark gray or gray-brown, but young branches are reddish or dark-brown with
a smooth texture.[1][7] Young twigs are covered in fine downy hairs; they become
hairless when older.[7]

The buds are egg-shaped and dark red or purple in color; they range in size from 3
to 5 millimeters, but are usually less than 4 mm. The bud scales have very hairy
edges. When emerging from the buds, the leaves are convolute, meaning that their
edges overlap each other.[1] Leaves can be simple ovals (elliptic), medium or wide
in width, somewhat egg-shaped with the wider portion toward their base (ovate), or
even with sides that are more parallel to each other instead of curved (oblong)
with a narrow pointed end.[7][1] The edges have broadly-angled teeth, but do not
have lobes. The top surface of the leaves are glabrescent, almost hairless, while
the undersides are densely covered in fine hairs.[1] The leaves are attached
alternately by short leaf stems 1-to-3.5 cm (1⁄2-to-1+1⁄2 in) long.[6][1]

Blossoms are produced in spring simultaneously with the budding of the leaves and
are produced on spurs and some long shoots.[5] When the flower buds first begin to
open the petals are rose-pink and fade to white or light pink when fully open with
each flower 3-to-4-centimeter (1-to-1+1⁄2-inch) in diameter.[1] The five-petaled
flowers are group in an inflorescence consisting of a cyme with 3–7 flowers.[8] The
central flower of the inflorescence is called the "king bloom"; it opens first and
can develop a larger fruit.[6] Open apple blossoms are damaged by even brief
exposures to temperatures −2 °C (28 °F) or less, although the overwintering wood
and buds are hardy down to −40 °C (−40 °F).[8]

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