7. Malus sieboldii (Regel) Rehder (toringo crab)

M. toringo (K. Koch) Carrière

Pyrus sieboldii Regel

Map 2461

Plants small trees to 8(–10) m tall, usually not colonial. Branchlets mostly thorn-tipped. Twigs short-hairy. Leaf blades folded lengthwise during development, 2–6 cm long, 2–4 times as long as wide, ovate to elliptic or oblong-elliptic, angled at the base, angled or tapered to a sharply pointed tip, the margins somewhat irregularly, sharply toothed, those of at least the larger leaves usually shallowly lobed, moderately to densely short-hairy on both surfaces when young, the upper surface sometimes becoming nearly glabrous at maturity. Flower stalks and hypanthia densely short-hairy to woolly. Calyces not persistent at fruiting, the sepals 3–5 mm long, narrowly triangular, the outer surface densely short-hairy to woolly, the inner surface densely woolly. Petals 1.0–1.6 cm long, the body oblong-obovate, tapered to a short stalklike base, white or pinkish-tinged at flowering, pinkish-tinged in bud. Anthers pink to orangish red. Styles 3 or 4, the stigmas club-shaped. Fruits 0.6–0.8 cm long, red to brownish yellow, not glaucous. 2n=34, 58, 85. April–May.

Introduced, uncommon, known thus far only from St. Louis and Warren Counties (native of Asia; introduced sporadically in the northeastern U.S.). Ditches, fencerows, old homesites, and disturbed areas.

The toringo crab is commonly cultivated as an ornamental tree and has been used as grafting stock in apple breeding.