Mespilus germanica

Mespilus germanica, known as the medlar or common medlar, is a large shrub or small tree in the rose family Rosaceae. The fruit of this tree, also called medlar, has been cultivated since Roman times, is usually available in winter and eaten when bletted. It may be eaten raw and in a range of cooked dishes. When the genus Mespilus is included in the genus Crataegus, the correct name for this species is Crataegus germanica (Kuntze). In the southwest of England it historically had a number of vulgar nicknames, such as open-arse and monkey's bottom, due to the appearance of its large calyx. Under ideal circumstances, the deciduous plant grows up to tall. Generally, it is shorter and more shrub-like than tree-like. With a lifespan of 30–60 years, the tree is rather short-lived. Its bark is grayish brown with deep vertical cracks forming rectangular plates that tend to lift off. The wild form of M. germanica is mostly a thorny, more shrub-like than tree-like plant, which is between high. In the cultivated forms, the thorns are usually reduced or even completely absent. In general, the medlar is a small, deciduous tree with an overhanging, almost round crown. The trunk is irregularly shaped. The tree has a height between , but can become significantly larger in culture. The diameter at breast height is usually between , but in exceptional cases it can be up to . The roots are heavily branched and far-ranging, with a somewhat fibrous root system. The wood has a fine texture, but is very hard. It has a white, slightly pink-tinted sapwood. The core is brownish. The annual rings are clearly visible. The winter buds are pointed, ovoid and up to long. The leaves are dark green and elliptic, long and wide. The leaves are densely hairy (pubescent) below, and turn red in autumn before falling. Medlar flowers are in diameter, have a short stalk and are terminal and single on short side shoots. They have five elongated, narrow sepals and five free, white or pale pink petals. Compared to other fruit trees in the European latitudes, the medlar flowers very late (May or June).