The plants around us. Volum II The plant around us. Volum II | Page 16

MALUS COMMUNİS
English: Apple
Spanish: Manzanas
Apple trees are large if grown from seed. Generally apple
cultivars are propagated by grafting onto rootstocks,
which control the size of the resulting tree. There are
more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples, resulting in a
range of desired characteristics. Different cultivars are
bred for various tastes and uses, including cooking, eating
raw and cider production. Trees and fruit are prone to a
number of 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.
Estonian: õunapuu
Portuguese: Macieira
Albanian: Mollë
Turkish: Elma
Catalan: Pomes
The central flower of the inflorescence is called the "king bloom"; it opens first, and can develop a larger fruit. The
fruit matures in late summer or autumn, and cultivars exist with a wide range of sizes.
The skin of ripe apples is generally red, yellow, green, pink, or russettedalthough many bi- or tri-
colored cultivars may be found. The skin may also be wholly or partly russeted i.e. rough and brown.
The skin is covered in a protective layer of epicuticular wax.