''Pyrus pyraster'' ( syn. ''Pyrus communis subsp. pyraster''), also called European wild pear, is a species of

pear Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in the Northern Hemisphere in late summer into October. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus ''Pyrus'' , in the family Rosaceae, bearing the po ...

of the family Rosaceae. This wild pear and ''Pyrus caucasica'' (syn. ''P. communis'' subsp. ''caucasica'') are thought to be the ancestors of the cultivated European pear (''

Pyrus communis ''Pyrus communis'', the common pear, is a species of pear native to central and eastern Europe, and western Asia. It is one of the most important fruits of temperate regions, being the species from which most orchard pear cultivars grown in Eu ...

'' subsp. ''communis''). Both the wild pears are interfertile with domesticated pears. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish ''Pyrus pyraster'' from a common pear. ''Pyrus pyraster'' can reach an age of 100 to 150 years.

Description

''Pyrus pyraster'' is a

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

plant reaching in height as medium-sized shrub and as a tree.Pignatti S. - Flora d'Italia – Edagricole – 1982. Vol. I, pag. 603 Unlike the cultivated form the branches have thorns. The leaves are ovate with serrated margins. The flowers have white petals. The stamens are equal to the length of styles. The flowering period extends from April through May. The fruits reach in diameter and ripen in late summer to early autumn. They are quite hard and astringent, but they have a sweet taste and are edible when they are very ripe and fall from the tree. The seeds ripen in September. Fruits look like a

Pyrus ussuriensis ''Pyrus ussuriensis'', also known as the Ussurian pear, Harbin pear, and Manchurian pear, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae. It is native to Korea, Japan, and the Ussuri River area of far eastern Russia. It has flowers in ...

var. acidula. Under good growing conditions, wild pear trees have a remarkably slender form with a characteristic rising crown. In less favourable conditions they show other characteristic growth forms, such as one-sided or extremely low crowns.

Distribution

The distribution of wild pear ranges from

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

to the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...

. It does not appear in Northern Europe.Schede di Botanica
/ref> The wild pear has become quite rare. It is sympatric with ''

Pyrus elaeagrifolia ''Pyrus elaeagrifolia'', the oleaster-leafed pear, is a species of wild pear plant in the genus ''Pyrus'' (Rosaceae), the specific name referring to the similarity of its foliage to that of ''Elaeagnus angustifolia'' - the so-called 'wild olive' ...

''. It may hybridize with other pears, producing, for example, ''

Pyrus austriaca ''Pyrus austriaca'', the Austrian pear, is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Pyrus'' found in central and southern Europe, and Turkey. They are very large trees for pears, reaching 20m. It is thought to be a hybrid species of ''Pyrus py ...

'' in a cross with ''

Pyrus nivalis ''Pyrus nivalis'', commonly known as yellow pear, is a species of tree in the family Rosaceae that grows naturally from South-East Europe to Western Asia. Like most pears, its fruit can be eaten raw or cooked; it has a mild sour taste. The plant ...

''.

Habitat

Wild pear can grow on almost all soils, except the most acidic ones. However, owing to its weak competitive ability, the species exists mostly on extreme or marginal sites. Its tap roots enable it to grow on very dry soils. The tree requires a lot of light and is often found in the open landscape. It occurs in thickets and open woods with cool-temperate climates, in lowlands, hills and sometimes in the mountains, at above sea level.

Wild pears in Britain

The "wild pears" of England and Wales are actually thought to be domesticates that escaped cultivation. They appear to be

archaeophyte An archaeophyte is a plant species which is non-native to a geographical region, but which was an introduced species in "ancient" times, rather than being a modern introduction. Those arriving after are called neophytes. The cut-off date is usua ...

s, with charcoal and carbonised pips having been found at several

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...

sites and are occasionally mentioned in medieval documents. It is likely that pears spread to Britain after their domestication with early farmers and subsequently escaped into the wild. Its establishment in the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

is probably due to human migration, with the trees belonging to one of the ''

'' subspecies instead of the true wild pear species of ''P. pyraster'', which is native to much of continental Europe but absent from Britain. Another species of pear found wild in

South West England South West England, or the South West of England, is one of nine official regions of England. It consists of the counties of Bristol, Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly), Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Cities ...

, the Plymouth pear ('' Pyrus cordata''), is now thought to have originated from hedging plants imported from

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

Gallery

File:Rosaceae - Pyrus pyraster-2.JPG, Shrub of ''Pyrus pyraster'' File:Wild Pear Tree in full blossom.JPG, ''Pyrus pyraster'' in full blossom File:Wild Pear Flowers detail.JPG, Close-up on flowers of ''Pyrus pyraster'' File:Rosaceae - Pyrus pyraster - Perastro.JPG, Fruits ''Pyrus pyraster'' File:Rosaceae - Pyrus pyraster.JPG, Fruits of ''Pyrus pyraster'' File:Rosaceae - Pyrus pyraster-1.JPG, Leaves of ''Pyrus pyraster'' File:Wildbirne Stammdetail, Pyrus pyraster.jpg, Bark of ''Pyrus pyraster''

Notes

References

Biolib
* ''Edward Milner – Trees of Britain and Ireland, page 113'' - regarding Pears in Britain.

External links

''Pyrus pyraster''
- info on Plants for a Future.
''Pyrus pyraster''
- distribution map, genetic conservation units and related resources.

European Forest Genetic Resources Programme European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN) is an international network that supports the conservation and sustainable use of forest genetic resources in Europe. The programme’s tasks include to coordinate and promote '' in situ'' an ...

(EUFORGEN) {{Authority control pyraster Flora of Ukraine