Alexander N. Uglizkich

Malus orientalis, the eastern crabapple or Caucasus apple, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae. It is found in Bulgaria, Turkey (including East Thrace), the Caucasus region, Iran, and Afghanistan. With its relatively large yellow fruit, it has been consumed by people for millennia, with a string of halved, dried fruit being found in a royal tomb at Ur. Drying the fruit and then rehydrating by boiling cuts the tartness. Malus orientalis contributed to the gene pool of domesticated apples, along with M. sieversii and M. sylvestris.