southern crab apple
Malus angustifolia (Aiton) Michx.
Malus angustifolia, commonly known as southern crab apple, is a species native to the eastern and south-central United States. It is a small tree or shrub, typically 2–3 m or 5–7 (10) m tall, with oval to ovate leaves and pink or white flowers. It produces yellow pomes from August to September. It is found in open areas of valleys, at elevations of 10–700 m, in habitats such as forests and shrubs. The species was first described in 1803 by Michaux.
Description
Malus angustifolia is a member of the Rosaceae family. It has a chromosome number of 2n = 34, 68. The species flowers from February to May, with inflorescences bearing 5–8 flowers. Leaves are petiolate, with crenate to serrulate margins. The pomes are subglobose, measuring 1.0–3.0 cm in diameter. The specimen K 000758465 from North Carolina aligns with the original descriptions by Aiton and Michaux. The neotype designated by Langenfeld in 1991 is considered incorrect.
Other common names
southern crab apple
Distribution
Global · Alabama · Arkansas · Delaware · District of Columbia · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maryland · Mississippi · Missouri · New Jersey · North Carolina · Ohio · Pennsylvania · South Carolina · Tennessee · Virginia · West Virginia
Synonyms
Malus microcarpaMalus sempervirensMalus coronaria var. puberulaPyrus sempervirensPyrus angustifolia var. puberulaMalus ioensis var. spinosaPyrus ioensis var. spinosaMalus angustifolia var. angustifoliaMalus angustifolia var. puberulaPyrus angustifoliaPyrus angustifolia var. spinosaMalus angustifolia f. pendulaPyrus coronaria var. angustifoliaMalus coronaria var. angustifoliaMalus angustifolia var. spinosaMalus angustifolia unranked floreplenoMalus microcarpa unranked cerasiformisMalus microcarpa unranked jucundaMalus microcarpa unranked kermesinaMalus microcarpa unranked macranthaMalus microcarpa unranked turbinataPyrus angustifolia unranked bechteliiPyrus angustifolia var. floreplenoMalus microcarpa unranked sempervirensChloromeles sempervirens
