The apple tree, which will be described 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 consumed both directly in food and in the preparation of various dishes. The 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 fruit also has useful properties. This will also be discussed in the article.
Botany - the science of plant life
Those who want to know what botany studies can refer 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.
Everything that studies botany 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 apple seeds.
Apple tree: structure and description
Apple tree, which will be described in this section,is a tree that varies in height depending on the variety. There are plants that reach no more than two meters in length, and there are longer ones - up to 15 meters. The apple tree has two types of branches - growth, long branches, and fruit.
The growth branches of the apple tree do not bear fruit. Their function is clear 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 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. Garden trees do not have thorns with thorns, 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 on the underside - depending on the variety. The color of the flowers also depends on the variety - either pure white, or pink, or white with a pinkish tint, and even bright crimson, almost red. Flowers gather in inflorescences, cross-pollinated.
It should be noted that the apple tree is a frost-resistant tree, withstands fairly low temperatures, reaching up to -40 degrees. This feature is one of the reasons for such a high popularity of the tree in Russia.
Apple fruit, appearance
Apple tree begins to bear fruit on average approximately 4-5 years after planting. However, there are varieties that begin to bear fruit in the first year of planting, and after 12 years.
Apple fruits - apples, differ independing on the variety of culture in color and shape, as well as the taste of the pulp. In size, apples are large and small, in shape - round, oval, conical and others. Color ranges from green to bright red.
The structure of an apple
If you look at an apple in a section, you can see its internal structure. Outside, the fruit is covered with a skin that protects the fruit from the penetration of pathogens into it and from fluid loss. The skin also takes part in the process of gas exchange.
In the very center of the apple there are seed chambers - tanks for storing seeds.
Between the peel and the seed chambers is the pulp of the fruit - the same one that is eaten. Its color, texture and taste are varietal characteristics. There are fruits with greenish flesh, white, yellowish, with pink patches. By consistency - dryish, friable, or juicy and strong. When the fruit is overripe, the flesh becomes grainy and dry. The pulp is a very valuable and he althy product, containing a lot of vitamins and fiber, which contributes to good digestion.
Also, when examining an apple in a longitudinal section, you can see a recess, the so-called funnel. A stalk comes out of it, with the help of which the apple is attached to the branch. On the opposite side of the fruit, there is also a small depression containing the sepals. The deepening is called the calyx fossa, and there are five sepals in it.
The structure of an apple seed
Apple seed - dicotyledonous,consists of two cotyledons. The structure of apple seeds is approximately the same as that of all dicotyledonous plants.
What does an apple seed consist of? How are apple seeds arranged? If we imagine the structure of apple seeds schematically, then it consists of the root of the embryo, above it is the primary kidney. Outside, the seed is covered with a seed coat. The bulk of the seed is occupied by 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 apple seeds includes a vascular bundle, a chalaza and a micropyle.
Useful properties of apple seed
The main function of the apple seed is reproduction, but for humans it is beneficial as a source of many trace elements necessary for he alth.
There is still no consensus on whether apple seeds are he althy to eat.
Among the useful qualities of seeds, one can name that they are rich in natural iodine, which is easily absorbed by humans. In addition to iodine, apple seeds contain vitamin B17, which is used to prevent cancer. Crushed seeds are used for cosmetic purposes in the manufacture of masks and facial 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 to have a beneficial effect on the internal organs.
WhatAs for the harmful properties of apple seed, it should be remembered that it contains amygdalin glycoside. When it enters the stomach, this compound produces a strong poison - hydrocyanic acid. Therefore, when eating apple seeds in large quantities, you can get poisoned.
Can an apple tree be grown from seed?
Apple tree can be obtained either from cuttings or buds, or grown from seed. An apple tree sprouted from a seed begins to bear fruit after a fairly long period of time, taking approximately 10-12 years. There is an opinion that only the so-called "wild" with small, sour fruits can be grown from seeds, but this is not so. An interesting fact is that apple trees with different properties and fruits are obtained from the seeds of one apple, 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 germinate an 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 desirable that these be fruits from local trees. Then you need to select the most ripe apples, extract the seeds and place them in a warm liquid for several days.
The next step depends on what kind of 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 into the ground. Thanks to this, the root system will go deep into the earth and will notfreeze over. But there is an important condition - groundwater must be deep. If it is planned to plant trees in swampy 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 keep the plant from rotting.
