Ringo (apple) - Malus pumila; apple; crab

Japanese: リンゴ(林檎) - リンゴ（英語表記）Malus pumila; apple; crab

A deciduous tall tree of the Rosaceae family. It is said to be native to mid-western Asia and India, and was introduced to Japan via China during the Kamakura period. It is called Waringo or Jiringo, and the varieties cultivated today as fruit trees are mainly improved varieties of the European apple that were introduced from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji period. The European apple is the same species, but is a group of varieties that were introduced from their native land to Europe in ancient times and have been improved over and over. The tree is 6m tall, with egg-shaped, sharply pointed leaves that are whitish-green, and the young leaves are covered with soft hairs. In spring, it produces beautiful white five-petal flowers about 3cm in diameter. The edible part is the thickened receptacle, and the true fruit corresponds to the core. Apples have been widely cultivated since ancient times, and it is said that 22 varieties were already known 2000 years ago, and as a result of repeated improvements in Europe and America, there are now as many as 1000 varieties.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

バラ科の落葉高木。アジア中西部やインドの原産といわれ，日本には鎌倉時代に中国を経て渡来した。これはワリンゴまたはジリンゴと呼ばれるもので，今日，果樹として栽培されている系統は，主として幕末以後明治期に渡来したセイヨウリンゴの改良種である。セイヨウリンゴも種としては同一種できわめて古い時代に原産地からヨーロッパへ移入され，改良を重ねられた品種群である。樹高 6m，葉は卵形，鋭尖頭で帯白緑色をし，若葉には軟毛がある。春に，白色で径 3cmほどの美しい5弁花をつける。食用にする部分は花托の肥厚したもので，真の果実は芯の部分に相当する。リンゴは古くから広く栽培されてきたもので，2000年も前にすでに 22種の変種が数えられたといい，ヨーロッパやアメリカで改良が重ねられた結果今日では 1000をもって数えるほどの品種がある。

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