Crab Apple | birkin-wildlife

Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris)

Kingdom Plantae – Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants

Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons

Subclass Rosidae

Order Rosales

Family Rosaceae – Rose family

Genus Malus P. Mill. – apple

Species Malus sylvestris P. Mill. – European crab apple

Irish Cran fia-uill

Malus spp. consists of 30+ species that occur on both sides of the Atlantic in northern temperate zones.

Its wood can be confused with pear (Pyrus spp.) and other "fruitwoods" in the rose family (Rosaceae). Common in Oak woods and hedges. Malus is the classical Latin name for apple. Its scientific name means forest apple. In the past it was thought to be an important ancestor of the cultivated apple (Malus domestica), but these are now known to be derived from the central Asian species Malus sieversii.

Native to most of Europe, commonly found in hedges and edges of woodland. Throughout Europe except the far north and west, also into SW Asia. The crab apple is a deciduous, small shrubby, spring flowering tree, which is uncommon in the wild.

Natural distribution throughout British Isles except Northern Scotland. In broadleaved woods and on plains to 1400m. Very rugged, indifferent to subsoil. In Britain it is frequent to rare in hedgerows and copses.

Description: Small thorny deciduous tree. Height 10-16m. Diameter: 0.3-1 m. Small tree with low-domed crown, usually one sided; dense twisting branches.

The Bark is brown and quite scaley, deeply and finely cracked into small square plates. The tree is short-boled with irregular scaly, rose-purple-grey bark.

Apple wood has a reddish gray heartwood and light reddish sapwood (12 to 30 rings of sapwood). When steamed, the wood becomes reddish brown to dark red-brown. The wood of wild apple trees is said to be better than that of cultivated varieties, which is also true of pear trees. When exposed, apple wood is nonresistant to heartwood decay.

Shoots: Dark purple above, pale brown beneath, ribbed, with some greyish down later shed, often thorny. Bud 4-5 mm, dark purple fringed with grey hairs.

Leaves are alternate with pointed tips. Elliptic, abruptly acuminate, cuneate or rounded, slightly oblique, crenate-serrate; deep green above, whitish green and pubescent beneath. 5-6 × 3-4 cm. Petiole 2.5 cm grooved, densely pubescent, dark crimson towards base. Flowers appear along with new leaves during May.

The flowers in late May, are cup-shaped, white with a pink flush and are much sought out by bees.

It has round, fleshy apple-like fruits that are very sour when raw. Nearly globular, 2.5 × 2.8 cm depressed each end, glossy pale green speckled with large white spots, flushed or speckled red in autumn.

Similar species: Orchard Apples are derived from Malus sylvestris and other species.

Some trees, especially if the flowers are very pink, may be seedlings from domestic apples (Malus pumila), in which Malus sylvestris is a major contributor. Domesticated varieties do not breed true and often revert close to the wild species when raised from seed. Crab apples make very good fertilisers for domestic varieties of apple, helping to ensure their crop. Crab apples are not good to eat, but make excellent jelly, either on their own or with other fruit.

Seeds from apple cores flung from cars or trains may germinate and in time produce 'wilding' trees, unlike any domestic variety but not identical either to the true wild crab.

Uses past & present: Hard close grained wood.

Uses of wood - Wood carving, inlay work, mallets, screws. Good firewood with pleasant aroma. Food and drink - The attractive small fruit are extremely sour but make good jelly by themselves or with blackberries or rowan berries. Crab Apple wine is reported to be potent.

Crab apples are often used to make jellies, because of their high pectin content, and also cider apple juice, when blended with less astringent apple varieties.

Feeding and other inter-species relationships
Associated with Malus sylvestris sens. lat.

aphid-infested

aphid infested is associate of Heringia - a genus of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) Rotheray, G.E., 1993 [feeding on Eriosoma lanigerum]
aphid-infested is associate of larva Meliscaeva cinctella - a hoverfly (Diptera: Syrphidae) Rotheray, G.E., 1993

Is a foodplant of

is foodplant of larva Anthonomus humeralis - a weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Bullock, J.A., 1992
is foodplant of larva Anthonomus piri - Apple Bud Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Bullock, J.A., 1992
is foodplant of larva Anthonomus pomorum - Apple Blossom Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Bullock, J.A., 1992
is foodplant of Polydrusus splendidus - a weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Morris, M.G., 1997
is foodplant of Phyllobius oblongus - Brown Leaf Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Morris, M.G., 1997
is foodplant of larva Magdalis cerasi - a weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Bullock, J.A., 1992

Associate of

is associate of imago Magdalis armigera - a weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Morris, M.G., 2002

Branch

branch is galled by Eriosoma lanigerum - Woolly Aphids, American Blight (Homoptera: Aphididae) Stubbs, F.B. (Editor), 1986

Cambium

below cambium of dead twig is mined by larva Magdalis barbicornis - Pear Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Morris, M.G., 2002 Bullock, J.A., 1992
twig (cambium) may contain larva Phytobia carbonaria - a leaf-mining fly (Diptera: Agromyzidae) Spencer, K.A., 1972

Flower bud

flower bud is galled by larva Anthonomus pomarum (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Stubbs, F.B. (Editor), 1986

Fruit

fruit may contain larva Rhynchites aequatus - Apple Fruit Rhynchites (Coleoptera: Attelabidae) Morris, M.G., 1990 Bullock, J.A., 1992
fruit may contain larva Rhynchites bacchus - a leafroller weevil (Coleoptera: Attelabidae) Morris, M.G., 1990
fruit may house hibernating larva Ametastegia glabrata - a sawfly (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) Benson, R.B., 1952
fruit may house hibernating prepupa? Ametastegia glabrata - a sawfly (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) Benson, R.B., 1952

Leaf

leaf is galled by Eriophyes malinus (Eriophyidae) Stubbs, F.B. (Editor), 1986
leaf is galled by larva Dasineura mali - a gall midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) Stubbs, F.B. (Editor), 1986
leaf-mine may house puparium Phytomyza heringiana - a leaf-mining fly (Diptera: Agromyzidae) Spencer, K.A., 1972
leaf is mined by larva Phytomyza heringiana - a leaf-mining fly (Diptera: Agromyzidae) Spencer, K.A., 1972 [mine irregularly linear, even forming a secondary blotch]

Sap

sap run is decayed by larva Ferdinandea - a genus of hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) Rotheray, G.E., 1993

Dead Wood

decaying shoot may contain larva Rhynchites caeruleus - Apple Twig Cutter, Twig Cutting Weevil (Coleoptera: Attelabidae) Morris, M.G., 1990 Bullock, J.A., 1992
dead or rotten wood may contain larva Sinodendron cylindricum - Rhinoceros Beetle (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) Jessop, L., 1986 Bullock, J.A., 1992
dead wood may house imago Sinodendron cylindricum - Rhinoceros Beetle (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) Jessop, L., 1986
decaying wood may contain larva Prionychus ater - a darkling beetle (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) Bullock, J.A., 1992
sawdust-packed tunnel in dead wood may house ovum Sinodendron cylindricum - Rhinoceros Beetle (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) Jessop, L., 1986

Wood

wood may contain larva Obrium cantharinum - a longhorn beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Bullock, J.A., 1992
wood may contain larva Pogonocherus hispidulus - a longhorn beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Bullock, J.A., 1992
wood may contain larva Pogonocherus hispidus - a longhorn beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Bullock, J.A., 1992
wood may contain larva Tetrops praeusta - a longhorn beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Bullock, J.A., 1992