大梨 mu li

Trees to 8–10 m tall. Branchlets slightly curved, robust, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, brownish gray when old, sparsely white lenticellate; buds ovoid, small, glabrous or scales pubescent at margin and apex, apex acute. Stipules caducous, linear-lanceolate, 6–10 mm, membranous, adaxially white lanate, soon glabrescent, margin glandular denticulate, apex acuminate; petiole 2.5–5 cm, glabrous; leaf blade ovate or narrowly ovate, rarely narrowly elliptic, 4–7 × 2.5–4 cm, glabrous or those of branchlets pubescent, base rounded, margin obtusely serrate, rarely sparsely serrulate toward apex, apex acuminate, rarely acute. Raceme umbel-like, 3–6-flowered; peduncle sparsely pubescent, soon glabrescent; bracts caducous, linear-lanceolate, 6–10 mm, membranous, adaxially white lanate, soon glabrescent, margin glandular denticulate, apex acuminate. Pedicel 2–3 cm, sparsely hairy, soon glabrescent. Flowers 2–2.5 cm in diam. Hypanthium cupular, abaxially glabrous or subglabrous. Sepals triangular-ovate, 2–3 mm, abaxially glabrous, adaxially tomentose, margin glandular denticulate, apex acuminate. Petals white, broadly ovate, 9–10 mm, base shortly clawed, apex rounded. Stamens 20, slightly shorter than petals. Ovary (4- or)5-loculed, with 2 ovules per locule; styles (4 or)5, nearly as long as stamens, sparsely pubescent basally. Pome brown with few pale dots, ovoid or ellipsoid, 1–1.5 cm in diam., 4- or 5-loculed; fruiting pedicel 2–3.5 cm; sepals persistent. Fl. Apr, fr. Aug–Sep. 2n = 34*, 51*.

Slopes, among shrubs, forests; 500--2000 m. Gansu, Henan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Xinjiang, Xizang.

In NW China, this species is often used as stock for grafting pear cultivars.