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Malus domestica 'Spartan'

(Spartan Apple)

Overview

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Spartan Apple

Description

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Family Rosaceae

Trees , shrubs , or herbs, deciduous or evergreen . Stems erect , scandent , arching , prostrate , or creeping , armed or unarmed . Buds usually with several exposed scales , sometimes with only 2. Leaves alternate, rarely opposite, simple or compound ; stipules paired , free or adnate to petiole , rarely absent, persistent or deciduous; petiole usually 2-glandular apically; leaf blade often serrate at margin , rarely entire. Inflorescences various, from single flowers to umbellate , corymbose , racemose or cymose-paniculate. Flowers usually actinomorphic , bisexual , rarely unisexual and then plants dioecious. Hypanthium (formed from basal parts of sepals, petals, and stamens) free from or adnate to ovary, short or elongate . Sepals usually 5, rarely fewer or more, imbricate; epicalyx segments sometimes also present. Petals as many as sepals, inserted below margin of disk, free, imbricate, sometimes absent. Disk lining hypanthium, usually entire, rarely lobed . Stamens usually numerous , rarely few, always in a complete ring at margin of or above disk; filaments usually free, very rarely connate ; anthers small, didymous , rarely elongate, 2-locular. Carpels 1 to many, free, or ± connate and then adnate to inner surface of cupular receptacle; ovary inferior, semi-inferior, or superior; ovules usually 2 in each carpel, rarely 1 or several, anatropous , superposed . Styles as many as carpels, terminal , lateral , or basal, free or sometimes connate. Fruit a follicle, pome, achene, or drupe, rarely a capsule, naked or enclosed in persistent hypanthium and sometimes also by sepals. Seeds erect or pendulous, sometimes winged , usually exalbuminous , very rarely with thin endosperm; cotyledons mostly fleshy and convex abaxially, rarely folded or convolute.

Between 95 and 125 genera and 2825-3500 species: cosmopolitan , mostly in N temperate zone; 55 genera (two endemic) and 950 species (546 endemic) in China.

Many plants of this family are of economic importance and contribute to people s livelihoods. The Rosaceae contain a great number of fruit trees of temperate regions . The fruits contain vitamins, acids, and sugars and can be used both raw and for making preserves, jam, jelly, candy, various drinks, wine, vinegar, etc. The dried fruits of the genera

Amygdalus and Armeniaca are of high commercial value. Some plants in the genus Rosa containing essential oils or with a high vitamin content are used in industry . Rosaceae wood is used for making various articles, stems and roots are used for making tannin extract, and young leaves are used as a substitute for tea. Numerous species are used for medical purposes or are cultivated as ornamentals .

The Rosaceae are very well represented in China, with great economic and scientific importance. The Co-chairs of the Editorial Committee (Wu and Raven) here note that the patterns of relationship are complex and the group is taxonomically difficult. [1]

Genus Malus

Trees or shrubs , deciduous or semievergreen, usually unarmed ; buds ovoid , with several imbricate scales . Leaves alternate, simple , petiolate , stipulate , venation craspedodromous or camptodromous and merely toothed , margin serrate or lobed , folded or convolute in bud. Inflorescences corymbose-racemose. Flowers pedicellate . Hypanthium bowl-shaped. Sepals 5, persistent or caducous . Petals 5, white, pink, or red, suborbicular or obovate . Stamens 15-50, with white filaments and yellow anthers . Ovary inferior, 3-5-loculed, with 2 ovules in each cell ; styles 3-5, connate at base , glabrous or pubescent . Pome usually not containing stone-cells or present in a few species, 3-5-loculed, 1- or 2-seeded in each cell, with cartilaginous endocarp (core ) . Seeds brown or black, cotyledons plano-convex .

About 55 species: widely distributed in N temperate zone; 25 species (15 endemic) in China.[2]

Physical Description

Habit: A small, deciduous tree with dense, twiggy branching and densely branched rounded crown.

Flowers: Profuse, small white flowers borne in corymbs, with five petals. Blooms in April to early May. Fragrant, 5-petaled blossoms . Attracts bees.

Seeds: Fruit: Globose pome containing 5 carpels arranged in a star, each with 1-2 seeds. Medium-sized red fruit with pure white flesh. Aromatic , sweet-tart flavor. Good for fresh eating. Long keeping.

Foliage: Summer foliage: Leaves are smooth , simple , broad, ovate or broad-eliptic or lanceolate, unlobed and toothed along the margin . Color is medium green.

Size/Age/Growth

Size: 15 to 20 feet tall and wide at maturity.

Landscaping

Landscape Uses: Patio tree . Small groupings or massing. Specimen. Useful for showy bloom . Useful for high quality summer foliage . Attract birds and wildlife to fruit. • Care: Deer resistant. Tolerates pollution . Tolerates rabbits. Requires cross-pollination between individuals, via insects. Established plants can benefit from fertilization.

Biology

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Growth

Soil: Very tolerant of a range of soils, and pH from 5.5 to 7.5. Prefers moist, organic , slightly acid, well-drained soils. Needs good drainage .

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Prefers full sun .

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b. (map)

Taxonomy

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Notes

A tentatively accepted name in the RHS Horticultural Database.

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Malus

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 761 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

M. angustifolia (Narrow-Leaved Crab Apple) · M. angustifolia var. angustifolia (Southern Crabapple) · M. angustifolia var. puberula (Southern Crabapple) · M. arnoldiana (Arnold's Apple) · M. baccata (Siberian Crabapple) · M. baccata 'Dolgo' (Flowering Crabapple) · M. communis var. silvestris (Wild Apple) · M. coronaria (Garland Crab Apple) · M. coronaria var. coronaria (Sweet Crabapple) · M. coronaria var. dasycalyx (Sweet Crabapple) · M. coronaria 'Big O' (Sweet Crabapple) · M. dasyphylla (Paradise Apple) · M. domestica (Apple) · M. domestica var. calvillea (Wild Apple) · M. domestica 'Aynho Scarlet' (Apple 'aynho Scarlet') · M. domestica 'Ballerina Flamenco' (Apple 'ballerina Flamenco') · M. domestica 'Beller' (Apple 'beller') · M. domestica 'Berleis' (Apple 'berleis') · M. domestica 'Bright Future' (Apple 'bright Future') · M. domestica 'Brown's Seedling' (Apple 'brown's Seedling') · M. domestica 'B. Thome McIntosh' (Apple 'b. Thome Mcintosh') · M. domestica 'Caudal Market' (Apple 'caudal Market') · M. domestica 'Cauflight' (Apple 'cauflight') · M. domestica 'Croen Mochyn' (Apple 'croen Mochyn') · M. domestica 'Dalirène' (Apple 'dalir) · M. domestica 'Delfloga' (Apple 'delfloga') · M. domestica 'Elshard' (Apple 'elshard') · M. domestica 'Eynsham Challenger' (Apple 'eynsham Challenger') · M. domestica 'Galaval' (Apple 'galaval') · M. domestica 'Glansevin' (Afal Glansevin) · M. domestica 'Golden Bromham' (Apple 'golden Bromham') · M. domestica 'Goldlane' (Apple 'goldlane') · M. domestica 'Gooseberry Apple' (Apple 'gooseberry Apple') · M. domestica 'Grandpa Ailes' (Apple 'grandpa Ailes') · M. domestica 'Gwell Na Mil' (Apple 'gwell Na Mil') · M. domestica 'Julie's Late Golden' (Apple 'julie's Late Golden') · M. domestica 'Lady Laura' (Apple 'lady Laura') · M. domestica 'McDonald Gala' (Apple 'mcdonald Gala') · M. domestica 'Minneiska' (Apple 'minneiska') · M. domestica 'Moonlight' (Apple 'moonlight') · M. domestica 'North Aston Nonpareil' (Apple 'north Aston Nonpareil') · M. domestica 'Pen Caled' (Afal Pen Caled) · M. domestica 'Phelp's Favourite' (Apple 'phelp's Favourite') · M. domestica 'Pig Yr Wydd' (Afal Pig Yr Wydd) · M. domestica 'Plymouth Cross' (Apple 'plymouth Cross') · M. domestica 'Pren Glas' (Afal Pren Glas) · M. domestica 'Redlane' (Apple 'redlane') · M. domestica 'Red Delicious' (Red Delicious Apple) · M. domestica 'Rhapsodie' (Apple 'rhapsodie') · M. domestica 'Rondo' (Apple 'rondo') · M. domestica 'Royal Gala' (Royal Gala Apple) · M. domestica 'Rucla' (Apple 'rucla') · M. domestica 'Shilling' (Apple 'shilling') · M. domestica 'Sonate' (Apple 'sonate') · M. domestica 'Spartan' (Spartan Apple) · M. domestica 'Stark' (Apple) · M. domestica 'Sunlight' (Apple 'sunlight') · M. domestica 'Tinyrwydd' (Afal Tinyrwydd) · M. domestica 'Tunda' (Apple 'tunda') · M. domestica 'Ueb26002' (Apple 'ueb24080') · M. domestica 'Wadey's Seedling' (Apple 'wadey's Seedling') · M. domestica 'Wern' (Afal Wern) · M. domestica 'Zari' (Apple 'zari') · M. domestica 'Zonga' (Apple 'zonga') · M. floribunda (Japanese Flowering Crabapple) · M. fusca (Oregon Crabapple) · M. glabrata (Biltmore Crabapple) · M. glaucescens (Dunbar Crabapple) · M. ioensis (Iowa Crabapple) · M. ioensis var. texana (Texas Crabapple) · M. Jelly King = 'Mattfru' (Crab Apple [jelly King]) · M. kansuensis (Flowering Crabapple) · M. magdeburgensis (Malus) · M. mandshurica (Manchurian Apple) · M. micromalus (Kaido Crab Apple) · M. platycarpa (Bigfruit Crab) · M. prunifolia (Pear-Leaf Crabapple) · M. prunifolia var. ringo (Chinese Apple) · M. pumila (Apple) · M. pumila var. McIntosh (Mcintosh Apple) · M. pumila '5-N-1' (Apple) · M. pumila 'Liberty' (Liberty Apple) · M. sargentii (Sargent Crabapple) · M. sargentii 'Candymint' (Sargents Crabapple) · M. sargentii 'Roseglow' (Sargents Crabapple) · M. sargentii 'Tina' (Sargents Crabapple) · M. sieboldii (Siebolds Crabapple) · M. sieboldii var. sieboldii (Toringa Crabapple) · M. sieboldii var. zumi (Toringa Crabapple) · M. sikkimensis (Crabapple) · M. soulardii (Soulard Crab) · M. sylvestris (Common Crab Apple) · M. toringo (Tea Crabapple) · M. toringoides (Cut-Leaved Crab) · M. toringo sargentii 'Tina' (Sargent Tina Crabapple) · M. transitoria 'Schmidtcutleaf' (Golden Raindrops® Crabapple) · M. x (Arnold's Apple) · M. x atrosanguinea (Carmine Crabapple) · M. x Coralburst™ (Coralburst" Crabapple) · M. x domestica (Jonathan Apple)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Cuizhi Gu, Chaoluan Li, Lingdi Lu, Shunyuan Jiang, Crinan Alexander, Bruce Bartholomew, Anthony R. Brach, David E. Boufford, Hiroshi Ikeda, Hideaki Ohba, Kenneth R. Robertson & Steven A. Spongberg "Rosaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 9 Page 46. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. Ku Tsue-chih, Stephen A. Spongberg "Malus". in Flora of China Vol. 9 Page 179. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
Last Revised: 2013-10-26