The apple tree, the description of which will be in this article, is one of the most common fruit crops in Russia. Its popularity is promoted not only by the taste and benefits of fruits, which can be used both directly in food and in the preparation of various dishes. Apple tree is a tree that blooms amazingly beautifully in the spring. In addition to apples, the seed of the apple tree contained in the fruits also has beneficial properties. This will also be discussed in the article.
Botany - the science of plant life
Those who want to know what botany is studying can go to the school biology course. Botany, in simple terms, is the science of plants. Therefore, all the necessary information about fruit crops, including the apple tree, can be found in reference books and manuals on botany.
All that botany studies is the structure of plants, their life, methods of reproduction. Also, this science classifies plant organisms by species, which allows it to study the evolution of plants, their origin and much more. And of course, the structure of the seeds of the apple tree.
Apple tree: structure and description
The apple tree, the description of which will be in this section, is a tree that varies in height depending on the variety. There are plants reaching no more than two meters in length, and there are longer ones - up to 15 meters. The apple tree has two types of branches - these are growth, long branches, and fruit.
The growth branches of the apple tree do not bear fruit. Their function is understandable by name - they are responsible for increasing the size of the tree. Fruit branches are short; their function is to form flowers and apples.
Apple trees are both garden and wild. The branches of wild-growing trees are equipped with thorns; such trees live for a very long time - more than a hundred years, sometimes reaching the age of 200-300 years. There are no thorns with thorns in garden trees, and they live a little less - about a hundred years, but no more.
The leaves of the apple tree are either smooth or covered with fluff from the underside, depending on the variety. Also, the color of the flowers depends on the variety - either pure white, or pink, or white with a pinkish tint and even bright raspberry, almost red. Flowers are collected in inflorescences, pollinated crosswise.
It should be noted that the apple tree is frost-resistant, can withstand fairly low temperatures, reaching up to - 40 degrees. This feature is one of the reasons for the high popularity of wood in Russia.
Apple Fruits, Appearance
The apple tree begins to bear fruit on average about 4-5 years after planting. However, there are varieties that begin to bear fruit in the first year of planting, and after 12 years.
The fruits of the apple tree - apples, vary depending on the variety of culture in color and shape, as well as in the taste of the pulp. In size, apples are large and small, in shape - round, oval, conical and others. Color - from green to bright red.
Apple structure
If you look at the apple in the context, then you can see its internal structure. Outside, the fetus is covered with a skin that protects the fetus from the penetration of pathogens and from the loss of fluid. The peel also takes part in the gas exchange process.
In the very center of the apple are seed chambers - storage tanks for seeds.
Between the peel and seed chambers is the pulp of the fetus - the very one that is eaten. Its color, texture and taste are varietal characteristics. There are fruits with greenish flesh, white, yellowish, with pink spots. By consistency - dry, loose, or juicy and strong. When the fruit overrides, the flesh becomes grainy and dry. Pulp is a very valuable and healthy product that contains a lot of vitamins and fiber, which contributes to good digestion.
Also, when examining an apple in a longitudinal section, you can see a depression, the so-called funnel. A stalk comes out of it, with the help of which an apple is attached to a branch. On the opposite side of the fetus, there is also a small depression containing sepals. The deepening is called the cup fossa, and there are five sepals in it.
Apple seed structure
The seed of the apple tree is dicotyledonous, consists of two cotyledons. The structure of apple seeds is approximately the same as that of all dicotyledonous plants.
What does the apple tree seed consist of? How are apple seeds arranged? If you imagine the structure of the seeds of the apple tree schematically, then it consists of the root of the embryo, above which the primary kidney is located. Outside, the seed is covered with a seed coat. The bulk of the seed is occupied by the cotyledons, covered with a thin film - endosperm. Its function in apple trees is to regulate the flow of fluid into the embryo.
In addition to the above organs, the structure of the seeds of the apple tree includes a vascular bundle, chalase and micropile.
Useful properties of apple seed
The main function of apple seed is reproduction, but for humans it is useful as a source of many trace elements necessary for health.
While there is no single point of view, is it useful to eat apple seeds.
Among the useful qualities of the seeds can be called the fact that they are rich in natural iodine, which is easily absorbed by humans. In addition to iodine, apple seeds contain vitamin B17, used for the prevention of cancer. Ground seeds are used for cosmetic purposes in the manufacture of face masks and scrubs - they have a rejuvenating effect.
There is also a direction of oriental medicine, which consists in applying apple seeds to certain places on the hands or feet in order to favorably affect the internal organs.
As for the harmful properties of apple seed, it should be remembered that it contains amygdalin glycoside. If it enters the stomach from this compound, a strong poison is formed - hydrocyanic acid. Therefore, when consuming apple seeds in large quantities, you can be poisoned.
Is it possible to grow an apple tree from a seed?
An apple tree can be obtained either from a stalk or kidney, or grown from a seed. An apple tree sprouted from a seed begins to bear fruit over a fairly long period of time, which takes approximately 10-12 years. There is an opinion that only the so-called “wild” with small, acidic fruits can be grown from seeds, but this is not so. An interesting fact is that from the seeds of one apple, apples with different properties and fruits are obtained, like children from the same family - from the same parents, but all are different. The best specimens can give rise to new varieties that can be reproduced using cuttings.
How to sprout apple seed?
First you need to make sure that the apples from which the seed will be extracted are not brought from hot countries, otherwise the seedlings will freeze in winter. It is advisable that these be fruits from local trees. Then you need to select the ripe apples, extract the seeds and place them in a warm liquid for several days.
The next step depends on what soil and under what conditions these apple trees will grow. If the climate is frosty, winters are harsh, then germinated seeds are recommended to be planted directly in the ground. Thanks to this, the root system will go deep into the earth and will not freeze. But there is an important condition - groundwater should be deep. If you plan to plant trees in marshy lands, then the seeds must first be grown in pots. When transplanting seedlings into open ground, the root system will be slightly damaged and will not grow deep into the ground. This will not allow the plant to rot.