Pyrus betulifolia

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Rosales

Familia: Rosaceae
Subfamilia: Amygdaloideae
Tribus: Maleae
Subtribus: Malinae
Genus: Pyrus
Sectio: P. sect. Pashia
Species: Pyrus betulifolia
Name

Pyrus betulifolia Bunge, Enum. Pl. China Bor.: 27 (1833).
Synonyms

Homotypic
Aria betulifolia (Bunge) M.Roem., Syn. 3: Rosifl. 124 (1847).
Sorbus betulifolia In: Otto & A.Dietr., Allg. Gartenz. 17: 84 (1849).
Malus betulifolia (Bunge) Wenz., Jahrb. Königl. Bot. Gart. Berlin 2: 292 (1883).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Asia-Temperate
China
China South-Central (Guizhou, Hubei), China North-Central (Gansu, Hebei, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi), China Southeast (Anhui, Henan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Zhejiang), Inner Mongolia (Nei Mongol), Manchuria (Liaoning), Tibet.
Asia-Tropical
Indo-China
Laos.

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Additional references

Cuizhi, G. & Spongberg, S.A. 2003. Pyrus betulifolia. Pp. 177 in Wu, Zh.Y. , Raven, P.H. & Hong, D.Y. (eds.), Flora of China. Volume 9: Pittosporaceae through Connaraceae. Science Press, Beijing & Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, ISBN 1-930723-14-8. efloras Reference page.

Links

Hassler, M. 2021. Pyrus betulifolia. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2021. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2021 March 23. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Pyrus betulifolia in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2021 March 23. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2021. Pyrus betulifolia. Published online. Accessed: 23 March 2021.

Pyrus betulifolia, known as the Birchleaf pear in English and Tang li in Chinese,[2] is a deciduous wild pear tree native to the leafy forests of northern and central China and Tibet. It can grow 10 meters high in optimal conditions. Formidable thorns (which are modified stems) protect its leaves from predation. These narrow and extended leaves, resembling smaller birch leaves, provide it with its specific name betulifolia, meaning "birch leaf". Its small fruit (5–11 mm (0.20–0.43 in) in diameter) are used as ingredients in types of rice wine in China and sake in Japan. It is used as rootstock for grafting popular asian pear varieties.
References

"Catalogue of Life : Pyrus betulifolia Bunge".
"Pyrus betulifolia: smaller pears World". 2012-01-07.