Malus doumeri

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

A medium sized tree. It grows 10-18 m high. The trunk is 20-40 cm across. The trunk is not straight and branches early. The stems are often spiny when young. The leaves have long leaf stalks. The leaves are narrowly oval and 7-14 cm long by 3-6 cm wide. They are papery. They have soft hairs when young. There are 8-11 primary veins on each side. The flowers are in groups of 3-6 at the ends of branches. The petals are white tinged with yellow. The fruit are round and 4-5 cm across. They are yellowish-red when ripe.

There are about 35 Malus species and very many cultivated varieties.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It usually grows in high mountains from 1,200 to 2,200 m altitude. It grows in dense evergreen rain-forests. It is in areas with 1,500-2,000 mm rainfall. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Indochina, Laos, SE Asia, Taiwan, Vietnam

How it is used for food

The fruit are sweet-sour and are eaten.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Koh loong, Gan, Pom rung, Sontra, Tai wan lin qin, Tao ngoc linh

Synonyms

Docynia doumeri (Bois) C. K. Schneider; Docynia indica (Wallich) Decaisne var. doumeri (Bois) A. Chevalier; Eriolobus doumeri (Bois) C. K. Schneider; Malus formosana Kawakami & Koidz.; Pyrus doumeri Bois.; Pyrus formosana Kawakami & Koidz.; and others