Malus sieversii

Malus sieversii is a wild apple species native to the mountains of Central Asia. It is a principal ancestor of the domesticated apple, Malus domestica.

Malus: Malus is a genus of deciduous trees and shrubs that includes apples and crabapples. This wild species belongs to the genus that also contains domesticated apples.
Apple: An apple is the edible fruit of apple trees in the genus Malus. The familiar fruit is produced by both cultivated apples and their wild relatives.
Apple breeding: Apple breeding is the selection and crossing of apple trees to develop desired inherited traits. Breeders can use wild-species traits to improve cultivated apples.
Crop wild relative: A crop wild relative is a wild plant related to a domesticated crop and potentially useful in its improvement. Malus sieversii is a prominent wild relative of the cultivated apple.
Central Asia: Central Asia is a landlocked region encompassing countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The species' native range lies in the mountains of this region.
Rosaceae: Rosaceae is a large flowering-plant family that includes roses, apples, pears, and cherries. Malus sieversii is one member of this diverse plant family.
Disease resistance: Disease resistance is an organism's inherited ability to limit infection or damage caused by pathogens. Some wild apple populations carry resistance traits useful to crop improvement.
Introgression: Introgression is the movement of genetic material between populations or species through hybridization and repeated backcrossing. Gene flow among wild and cultivated apples complicates reconstruction of their ancestry.
Tien Shan: The Tien Shan is a major mountain system extending across Central Asia. Its forests contain important native populations of Malus sieversii.
Plant genetic resources: Plant genetic resources are heritable biological materials used or potentially useful for crop improvement and research. Wild populations preserve traits that apple breeders can draw upon.

Linked from 1 page

Apple cultivarRelated: Its fruit variation helped supply traits from which cultivated apples developed.