Mespilus germanica, known as the medlar or common medlar, is a large shrub or small tree in the rose family Rosaceae. When the genus Mespilus is included in the genus Crataegus, the correct name for this species is Crataegus germanica (L.) Kuntze. The fruit of this tree, also called medlar, has been cultivated since Roman times. It is usually available in winter and eaten when bletted. It may be consumed raw and in a range of cooked dishes.
Description Under ideal circumstances, the deciduous plant grows up to 8 metres (26 feet) tall. Generally, it is shorter and more shrub-like than tree-like. With a lifespan of 30–60 years, the tree is rather short-lived. Its bark is greyish brown with deep vertical cracks forming rectangular plates that tend to lift off. The wild form of M. germanica is mostly a thorny, more shrub-like than tree-like plant, which is between 1.5 and 4 m (5 and 13 ft) high. In the cultivated forms, the thorns are usually reduced or even completely absent. In general, the medlar is a small, deciduous tree with an overhanging, almost round crown. The trunk is irregularly shaped. The tree has a height between 1 and 6 m (3+1⁄2 and 19+1⁄2 ft), but can become significantly larger in culture. The diameter at breast height is usually between 20 and 25 cm (8 and 10 in), but in exceptional cases it can be up to 50 cm (20 in). The roots are heavily branched and far-ranging, with a somewhat fibrous root system. The wood has a fine texture, but is very hard. It has a white, slightly pink-tinted sapwood. The core is brownish. The annual rings are clearly visible. The winter buds are pointed, ovoid and up to 5 millimetres (1⁄4 inch) long. The leaves are dark green and elliptic, 8–15 centimetres (3–6 in) long and 3–5 cm (1–2 in) wide. The leaves are densely hairy (pubescent) below, and turn red in autumn before falling. Medlar flowers are 2–5 cm (3⁄4–2 in) in diameter, have a short stalk and are terminal and single on short side shoots. They have five elongated, narrow sepals and five free, white or pale pink petals. Compared to other fruit trees in the European latitudes, the medlar flowers very late (May or June). The flowers are hermaphrodite and pollinated by bees. Normally, self-pollination occurs in this plant. The flower then develops flattened, reddish-brown, hairy fruits with juicy flesh. The reddish-brown fruit is a pome, 2–3 cm (3⁄4–1+1⁄4 in) diameter, with wide-spreading persistent sepals around a central pit, giving a 'hollow' appearance to the fruit. In cultivated forms the diameter is even between 3 and 8 cm (1+1⁄4 and 3+1⁄4 in). Sexual reproduction is the norm in wild forms of the medlar. The resulting seeds have a germination capacity lasting from 18 to 20 months. The seeds are distributed by various animals such as birds, squirrels and deer. Some varieties are sterile and can therefore only be propagated vegetatively. The number of chromosomes is given as 2n = 32 or 2n = 34.
Taxonomy
Until recently, M. germanica was the only known species of medlar. However, in 1990, a new species was discovered in North America, now named M. canescens. The loquat, Eriobotrya japonica, is more distantly related to the medlar than genera such as Crataegus, Amelanchier, Peraphyllum, and Malacomeles, but was once thought to be closely related, and is still sometimes called the 'Chinese medlar' or 'Japanese medlar'.
Systematics Within the species M. germanica 23 taxa are distinguished, also comprising wild or semi-wild forms, ornamental and of different origin. Among them there are the following varieties:
Mespilus germanica var. gigantea Kirchn. with very large fruits Mespilus germanica var. abortiva Kirchn. with fruits without seeds Mespilus germanica var. argenteo-variegata with white variegated leaves as ornamental plant Mespilus germanica var. aureo-variegata with yellow variegated leaves as ornamental plant Cultivars of M. germanica that are grown for their fruit include 'Hollandia', 'Nottingham', and 'Russian', the large-fruited variety 'Dutch' (also known as 'Giant' or 'Monstrous'), 'Breda giant', 'Large Russian', 'Royal' with very high yield, 'Early medlar' with early ripening and high quality fruits, 'Seedless' with seedless fruits of low quality. The cultivar 'Nottingham' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. For a time it was assumed that it was a species with narrow genetic resources and therefore subject to high risks of genetic erosion, whereby the limited evolution of M. germanica diversity was ascribed to the lack of economic interest for this fruit species in the last centuries. However, current findings show that natural populations of medlar are diverse with a high genetic potential, which could be used to improve production by using specific genotypes.
Etymology The Latin name germanica means 'German', although the species is indigenous to other areas.
Distribution and habitat From an extensive study of literature and plant specimens, Kazimierz Browicz concluded that the true homeland of M. germanica is only in the southeastern part of the Balkan peninsula, in Asia Minor, on the Caucasus, Crimea, northern Iran, and possibly also in Turkmenistan. It is also found in southeastern Europe, especially the Black Sea coasts of Bulgaria and Turkey. Fossil remains, however, have been reported from a wider area, including from Oriolo, Italy (c. 800 kya thousand years ago) and Burgtonna, Germany (130-115 thousand years ago), dating from the Pleistocene. The species requires temperate and sub-mediterranean climate conditions with warm summers and mild winters. Air temperatures of 18 to 20 °C (64 to 68 °F) are mentioned as favourable for growth, cold of as low as −20 °C (−4 °F) is tolerated and late frosts hardly cause any damage. The wild form was observed in dry areas with annual precipitation of 700 mm (28 in) and at altitudes from 0 to 1,100 m (0 to 3,600 ft). The species grows in a wide range of soil types and prefers fresh, well-drained loamy soils with a pH that is between 6 and 8. It is found across southern Europe where it is generally rare. It is reported to be naturalised in some woods in southeast England, but is found in few gardens.
Ecology
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