Pyrus syriaca

Pyrus syriaca, the Syrian pear, is a deciduous tree of the Rose family. It is the only pear species which grows in the wild in Lebanon[1], Turkey, Syria and Israel.

Syrian pear
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Pyrus
Species:
P. syriaca
Binomial name
Pyrus syriaca

The Syrian pear is a protected plant in Israel. It grows in unsalted ground, usually in Mediterranean scrub, in west Syria, in the Galilee and the Golan.

In the months of March and April, the tree blossoms with white flowers. The fruit ripen in the autumn in the months of September and October. The fruit is edible, though not as good as the European Pear, mostly because of hard, stone like objects found in the skin. The ripe fruit falls to the ground and when it starts to rot, the smell attracts wild boars. The boars eat the fruit and distribute the seeds.

References
  1. Tohmé, Georges and Henriette (2014). Illustrated Flora of Lebanon. Lebanon: National Council for Scientific Research, Lebanon. p. 531. ISBN 9789953028903.
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