Pears belong to the genus Pyrus, a group of trees and shrubs that are harvested from late summer to mid-autumn. They grow naturally across temperate regions from Western Europe and North Africa to East Asia and were already being cultivated in China as early as 2000 BC. Most pear trees are medium-sized, reaching up to 20 meters tall, with white blossoms and fruits that range from round to the classic “pear shape.”
There are about 3,000 varieties of pears grown around the world, with four main species producing most of the edible fruit: the European pear (Pyrus communis), Chinese white pear (Pyrus × bretschneideri), Chinese pear (Pyrus ussuriensis), and Asian or Nashi pear (Pyrus pyrifolia). Pears can be enjoyed fresh, canned, dried, or juiced. Their fermented juice, called perry or pear cider, is made much like apple cider.
Pear wood is also prized — it’s dense, smooth, and doesn’t warp, making it perfect for fine furniture, carving, kitchen utensils, and even smoking food. Interestingly, in ancient times, the Nakh peoples of the North Caucasus, including the Chechens, considered the pear and walnut trees sacred, believing they were the dwelling places of benevolent spirits.
梨子屬於梨屬，有多種喬木和灌木，其果實於夏末至仲秋期間採摘。梨樹自然生長於溫帶地區，從西歐、北非到東亞均有分佈，早在西元前 2000 年，中國就已經開始栽培梨樹。大多數梨樹為中等大小，最高可達 20 公尺，開白色花朵，果實形狀從圓形到經典的「梨形」不等。
全世界種植的梨品種約有 3000 種，其中四種主要品種產量最高，可供食用：西洋梨（Pyrus communis）、白梨（Pyrus × bretschneideri）、秋子梨（Pyrus ussuriensis）和沙梨（Pyrus pyrifolia）。梨子可以生食、罐裝、曬乾或榨汁。梨子的發酵汁液，稱為梨酒或梨汁，其製作方法與蘋果酒非常相似。
梨木也備受推崇——它質地緻密光滑，不易變形，是製作高檔家具、雕刻品、廚房用具，甚至熏制食物的理想材料。有趣的是，在古代，北高加索地區的納赫人，包括車臣人，視梨樹和核桃樹為神聖之樹，認為它們是仁慈神靈的居所。
Pyrus kawakamii (Evergreen Pear) 台灣野梨
The Evergreen Pear Tree (Pyrus kawakamii) is native to Taiwan and grows to a moderate height of 15–30 feet. It is one of the first trees to bloom each year. In late December and January, its foliage turns a beautiful orange-red color. Around mid-February, it produces an impressive display of brilliant white, fragrant blossoms that attract birds, butterflies, and bees. After flowering, the tree produces small, bronze-colored, pea-sized fruit that is rarely seen and not edible.
台灣野梨原產於台灣，樹高適中，約 15-30 英尺（4.5-9 公尺）。它是每年最早開花的樹種之一。 12 月下旬至1 月，其葉片會變成美麗的橙紅色。 2 月中旬左右，它會盛開出耀眼的白色芬芳花朵，吸引鳥類、蝴蝶和蜜蜂前來採蜜。花期過後，樹上會結出豌豆大小的青銅色小果實，這種果實很少見，而且不可食用。
Pyrus calleryana (Callery pear/Bradford pear) 豆梨/麻子梨
Pyrus calleryana is a deciduous pear tree that typically grows 5–8 m tall. It is native to East Asia, including China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The plant spreads by seed. It was introduced to the United States as the cultivar ‘Bradford’ for research purposes and was considered a potential means of developing resistance to fire blight in edible pears. ‘Bradford’ was later introduced as an ornamental tree and became widely planted.
It is one of the first trees to bloom in spring, producing white flowers with an objectionable, foul odor. The small, yellowish-green to brown fruits are eaten by animals, which help disperse the seeds. In autumn, the foliage often turns brilliant shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, or bronze. Pyrus calleryana is now considered an invasive plant in many areas.
豆梨是一種落葉喬木，通常高 5-8 公尺。它原產於東亞，包括中國、台灣、日本、韓國和越南。它透過種子繁殖。最初，它以「布拉德福德」（Bradford）品種被引入美國用於研究，並被認為有可能培育出抗火疫病的食用梨品種。 「布拉德福德」後來被當作觀賞樹木引進，並廣泛種植。
它是春季最早開花的樹種之一，開出白色花朵，散發著令人不悅的惡臭。它結出的果實很小，呈黃綠色至棕色，會被動物食用，從而幫助種子傳播。秋季，葉片常常會變成鮮豔的黃色、橙色、紅色、粉紅色或古銅色。如今，在許多地區，它已被視為入侵植物。
Notes 筆記
- The pear tree and shrub are species of the genus Pyrus, harvested from late summer into mid-autumn. Several species of pears are valued for their edible fruit and juice, while others are cultivated as ornamental trees.
- The pear is native to coastal, temperate, and mountainous regions extending from Western Europe and North Africa eastward across Asia. Pears were cultivated in China as early as 2000 BC.
- They are typically medium-sized trees, reaching up to 20 m (66 ft) tall, often with a tall, narrow crown; a few pear species are shrubby.
- The flowers are white—rarely tinted yellow or pink—2–4 cm in diameter, and have five petals, five sepals, and numerous stamens. The shape of the fruit varies among species, from oblate or globose to the classic pyriform (“pear-shaped”) form of the European pear, with an elongated basal portion and a bulbous end.
- According to the Pear Bureau Northwest, about 3,000 known varieties of pears are grown worldwide. They vary in both shape and taste. Four species are primarily cultivated for edible fruit production:
- the European pear (Pyrus communis subsp. communis), cultivated mainly in Europe and North America,
- the Chinese white pear (Pyrus × bretschneideri),
- the Chinese pear (Pyrus ussuriensis), and
- the Nashi or Asian pear (Pyrus pyrifolia), also known as the apple pear, grown mainly in eastern Asia.
- Pears are consumed fresh, canned, juiced, and dried. The juice is used in jellies and jams. Fermented pear juice, known as perry or pear cider, is made in a manner similar to apple cider. Perry can be distilled to produce a colorless, unsweetened fruit brandy. Pear purée is used in manufacturing snack foods.
- Other Pyrus species are used as rootstocks for European and Asian pear cultivars or grown as ornamental trees.
- Pear wood is close-grained and has been used as a specialized timber for fine furniture and for making blocks for woodcuts. It is also used for wood carving and as firewood, producing aromatic smoke for smoking meat or tobacco. Pear wood is valued for kitchen utensils such as spoons, scoops, and stirrers, as it does not impart color, flavor, or odor to food and resists warping and splintering despite repeated soaking and drying. Pear wood is also favored for architect’s rulers because it does not warp.
- The pear tree was an object of particular veneration—along with the walnut—in the tree worship of the Nakh peoples of the North Caucasus (see Vainakh mythology and Ingushetia). The best-known of the Vainakh peoples today are the Chechens of Chechnya. In pre-Islamic Chechen religion, pear and walnut trees were held to be sacred abodes of beneficent spirits, and it was forbidden to fell them.
- 梨樹和梨灌木屬於梨屬，從夏末到仲秋均可採收。有些梨樹品種因其果實和果汁可食用而備受青睞，而有些則被栽培為觀賞樹木。
- 梨原產於沿海、溫帶和山區，分佈範圍從西歐和北非向東延伸至亞洲。早在西元前 2000 年，中國就開始種植梨子。
- 它們通常是中等大小的喬木，最高可達 20 公尺（66 英尺），樹冠通常高而窄；少數梨樹品種是灌木狀的。
- 花朵白色，極少帶黃色或粉紅色，直徑 2-4 公分，有 5 片花瓣、5 片萼片和許多雄蕊。果實形狀因品種而異，從扁球形或球形到典型的歐洲梨梨形，後者基部細長，末端膨大。
- 據西北梨業局稱，全世界種植的梨品種約有 3000 種。它們的形狀和口味各不相同。其中，有四種梨子主要用於食用果實的生產：
- 西洋梨（Pyrus communis subsp. communis），主要栽培於歐洲和北美
- 白梨（Pyrus × bretschneideri)
- 秋子梨（Pyrus ussuriensis）
- 沙梨（Pyrus pyrifolia），主要產於東亞。
- 梨子可以生食、罐裝、榨汁和曬乾。梨汁用於製作果凍和果醬。發酵梨汁，也稱為梨酒或梨蘋果酒，其製作方法與蘋果酒類似。梨酒可以蒸餾成無色無糖的水果白蘭地。梨泥則用於生產休閒食品。
- 其他梨屬植物可用作歐洲和亞洲梨品種的砧木，或作為觀賞樹木栽培。
- 梨木紋理細密，一直以來都是製作高檔家具和木刻版畫的專用木材。它也常用於木雕和作為柴火，燃燒時產生的芳香煙霧可用於熏肉或煙燻煙草。梨木因其不會影響食物的顏色、味道或氣味，即使反覆浸泡和乾燥也不易變形或開裂，因此也常用於製作廚房用具，例如湯匙、舀勺和攪拌棒。此外，梨木不易變形，因此也是建築師製作尺的理想材料。
- 在北高加索納赫人的樹木崇拜中，梨樹與核桃樹一樣，都備受尊崇（參見瓦伊納赫神話和印古什）。如今，最著名的瓦伊納赫民族是車臣人。在伊斯蘭教傳入之前的車臣宗教中，梨樹和核桃樹被認為是善良神靈的神聖居所，禁止砍伐它們。
- 在醫療功效上，梨可以通便秘，利消化，對心血管也有好處。（本草綱目）梨果、皮均入藥。實解熱、止咳。性味：果：甘、微酸、涼；梨皮：甘、澀、涼；根：甘、淡、平。效用：果：生津潤燥，清熱化痰。治熱病，津傷煩渴，痰熱，便秘；葉：治小兒疝氣；梨皮：清心潤肺，降火生津。治暑熱煩渴，咳嗽，吐血，疔瘡；根：治疝氣，咳嗽。
- 一些地方在宴席的最後上一道糖水梨，意思是「吉利（梨）」。
- 古代某些地方有禁忌，通常不贈送梨子，也不會把梨子切片喫，因為「分梨」與「分離」音同。遇此情況可象徵性收一兩角錢，以示交易而非贈送。但探病者可送，解曰「離病」。近年工商社會，遵循者已少。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Pear
- Santa Barbara Beautiful: Santa Barbara Beautiful Tree of the Month – February 2022
- Wikipedia: Pyrus calleryana
- The Morton Arboretum: Callery pear
- 維基百科: 梨
Plants Posts 植物的帖子
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