Malus sylvestris to most European countries. It occurs in a scattered distribution pattern as single individuals or in small groups. In the past "M. sylvestris" was thought to be the most important ancestor of the cultivated apple ("M. pumila"), which has since been shown to have been originally derived from the central Asian species "M. sieversii". However another recent DNA analysis confirms that "M. sylvestris" has contributed significantly to the genome. The study found that secondary introgression from other species of the genus "Malus" has greatly shaped the genome of "M. pumila", with "M. sylvestris" being the largest secondary contributor. It also
Fruit tree Fruit tree A fruit tree is a tree which bears fruit that is consumed or used by humans and some animals — all trees that are flowering plants produce fruit, which are the ripened ovaries of flowers containing one or more seeds. In horticultural usage, the term 'fruit tree' is limited to those that provide fruit for human food. Types of fruits are described and defined elsewhere (see Fruit), but would include "fruit" in a culinary sense, as well as some nut-bearing trees, such as walnuts. The scientific study and the cultivation of fruits is called pomology, which divides fruits