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Malus trilobata
Malus trilobata, the Lebanese wild apple, also known as the erect crab apple, Turkish apple, three-lobed apple or deer apple, is a species of apple (Malus) in the rose family (Rosaceae). It has a discontinuous range in the eastern Mediterranean, including Thrace, coastal Anatolia and the Levant, but almost always as a rare species. First described in 1810 as Crataegus trilobata, it has a complex taxonomic history, and some authorities place it in the segregate genus Eriolobus, as Eriolobus trilobatus, either alone or together with the closely related Italian crabapple (Malus florentina) from the central Mediterranean. The species is characterised by shiny, maple-like leaves, particularly large, white flowers, large and edible fruits and a narrow growth form.
In Greece, the species is locally known as Bragania and was traditionally protected from logging for its edible fruits. In Turkey, the species has many local names, but is most frequently referred to as Geyik Elması. However, this name is also at times applied to other fruit trees, including Sorbus and Crataegus, with which it is frequently confused. Local names in the Levant include Machlis, Makhlis and Mahrîs.
Traditionally, the leaves and fruits of Malus trilobata were used for treatment of a number of ailments, including heart diseases, diabetes, asthma and gastritis, shortness of breath, and hypertension. Tea made from the flowers and leaves is claimed to lower cholesterol and have a relaxing effect. Indeed, the species has attracted enthnopharmacological interest. Additionally, one study suggested that microbiota isolated from the leaves, bulk soil, and roots of M. trilobata could be a source of biocontrol agents for Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum, fungi that colonise apples post-harvest.
Malus trilobata is distributed in mountainous terrain in the eastern Mediterranean, however, its range is remarkably disjunct, consisting of several disconnected populations. In the European part of its range, the species has been recorded down to 50 metres (160 ft) altitude, but it has also been observed at 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) and 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) on Şaphane Mountain and Mount Lebanon, respectively. M. trilobata is not endemic to Lebanon, despite claims to the contrary.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Malus trilobata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
