Kingdom:
Phylum:
Angiosperms
Order:
Rosales
Family:
Genus:
Species:
germanica
ID:
1011464

Status:
valid

Authors:
L.

Source:
rjp

Year:
1753

Citation Micro:
Sp. Pl. : 478 (1753)

WFO Identifier:
wfo-0001010802

Common Names

  • Common Medlar
  • European Medlar
  • German Medlar

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Description

Mespilus germanica (also called the common medlar, among many other common names) is a shrub native to Europe and western Asia. It has white flowers and red fruits, and grows in moist, well-drained soils in woodlands and along streams.

Uses & Benefits

Mespilus germanica is used for making jams, jellies, and wines. It is also used to make tea, which is believed to have medicinal properties. It can also be used as an ornamental plant in gardens.

Cultivars, Varieties & Sub-species

Mespilus germanica for. macrocarpa (DC.) Zabel
Mespilus germanica for. apyrena (DC.) Rehder

Flower, Seeds and Seedlings

Mespilus germanica has white flowers that appear in clusters in the spring. The flowers are followed by small, yellow-brown fruits that contain a single, hard, brown seed. The seedlings have a single, oval-shaped cotyledon and a pair of opposite, oval-shaped leaves.

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Cultivation and Propagation

Mespilus germanica is a deciduous shrub that can be propagated from seeds or cuttings. Seeds should be sown in early spring in a cold frame. Cuttings should be taken from the current season's growth in late spring or early summer and can be rooted in a sandy soil. The shrub prefers full sun and well-drained soil.

Where to Find Mespilus germanica

Mespilus germanica can be found in the western United States, primarily in California, Oregon, and Washington.

Species in the Rosaceae family

Acaena macrocephala, Acaena antarctica, Acaena argentea, Acaena boliviana, Acaena buchananii, Acaena echinata, Acaena agnipila, Acaena cylindristachya, Acaena confertissima, Acaena eupatoria, Acaena integerrima, Acaena leptacantha, Acaena ovina, Acaena magellanica, Acaena masafuerana, Acaena patagonica, Acaena tenera, Acaena platyacantha, Acaena pumila, Acaena splendens, Acaena stricta, Acaena stangii, Acaena trifida, Acaena pallida, Acaena caespitosa, Acaena saccaticupula, Acaena subincisa, Acaena hirsutula, Acaena fissistipula, Acaena glabra, Acaena tesca, Acaena juvenca, Acaena emittens, Acaena dumicola, Acaena profundeincisa, Acaena minor, Acaena alpina, Acaena montana, Acaena myriophylla, Acaena poeppigiana, Acaena anserovina, Acaena sericea, Acaena latebrosa, Acaena sarmentosa, Acaena elongata, Acaena exigua, Acaena rorida, Acaena novae-zelandiae, Acaena pinnatifida, Acaena inermis,

References