Malus, the apples, is a genus of about 30-35 species of small deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae, including most importantly the domesticated Orchard or Table Apple (M. domestica, derived from M. sieversii). The other species are generally known as "wild apples", "crab apples", "crabapples" or "crabs", this name being derived from their small and sour, unpalatable fruit. The genus is native to the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, in Europe, Asia and North America.

Apple trees are small, typically 4-12 m tall at maturity, with a dense, twiggy crown. The leaves are 3-10 cm long, alternate, simple, with a serrated margin. The flowers are borne in corymbs, and have five petals, which may be white, pink or red, and are perfect, with usually red stamens that produce copious pollen, and an inferior ovary; flowering occurs in the spring after 50-80 growing degree days. Apples require cross-pollination between individuals by insects (typically bees, which freely visit the flowers, for both nectar and pollen); all are self-sterile, and self-pollination is impossible making pollinating insects essential. The honeybee is the most effective pollinator of apples. Malus species, including domestic apples, hybridize freely. Malus species are used as food plants by the larvae of a large number of Lepidoptera species - see list of Lepidoptera which feed on Malus.

The fruit is a globose pome, varying in size from 1-4 cm diameter in most of the wild species, to 6 cm in M. pumila, 8 cm in M. sieversii, and even larger in cultivated orchard apples. The centre of the fruit contains five carpels arranged star-like, each containing one to two (rarely three) seeds.

More on [ Malus ]

PLoS Medicine: New Articles

Why Current Publication Practices May Distort Science
John Ioannidis and colleagues argue that the current system of publication in biomedical research provides a distorted view of the reality of scientific data.
Faecal and Urinary Incontinence after Multimodality Treatment of Rectal Cancer
Marilyne Lange and Cornelis van de Velde discuss the differential diagnosis and management of incontinence after rectal cancer treatment.
SLC2A9 Is a High-Capacity Urate Transporter in Humans
Mark Caulfield and colleagues show that the SLC2A9 gene, which encodes a facilitative glucose transporter, is also a high-capacity urate transporter.

EurekAlert! - Biology

Astrocytes and synaptic plasticity
Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400
(Rockefeller University Press) By mopping up excess neurotrophic factor from neuronal synapses, astrocytes may finely tune synaptic transmission to affect processes such as learning and memory, say Bergami et al. Their report is published in the Journal of Cell Biology.
Body's anti-HIV drug explained
Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400
(University of Southern California) Study in journal Nature reveals atomic structure of enzyme capable of repelling HIV virus, suggesting new approach for drug development.
Pectin power
Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400
(Norwich BioScience Institutes) Scientists from the UK's Institute of Food Research have found a new possible explanation for why people who eat more fruit and vegetables may gain protection against the spread of cancers.They have shown that a fragment released from pectin, found in all fruits and vegetables, binds to and is believed to inhibit galectin 3, a protein that plays a role in all stages of cancer progression.

Subscribe to Biology RSS feed