Pyrus pedrottiana
Pyrus pedrottiana is a species of pear in the rose family. It is native to Sicily, specifically the Nebrodi Mountains of northern Sicily. It is, together with P. ciancioi, P. vallis-demonis, P. sicanorum and P. castribonensis, one of five pear species endemic to the island, and was described in 2022.
Description
Pyrus pedrottiana is a medium-sized pyramidal tree of 10-12 m height. The white flowers appear in corymbs of 5-9. The pome fruits are roundish or exceptionally pyriform and around 2 cm in diameter, with a rough, brown exocarp, hanging on stalks up to 30 cm long. The seeds are 4-6 mm in size, dark brown, and shiny. The leaves are hairless, ovate to elliptical, with stalks 2-3 cm long.Taxonomy
The species was first discovered during botanical surveys as a large, locally common and morphologically distinct population of pears in the vicinity of Lake Maulazzo close to the municipalities of Militello Rosmarino and Alcara li Fusi, at ca.1400 m altitude in the Nebrodi Mountains, and was subsequently described by University of Palermo botanists, Gianniantonio Domina and Giuseppe Venturella, in 2022. The research team around Raimondo is also responsible for the description of the whitebeams Aria madoniensis, A. busambarensis, A. meridionalis and A. phitosiana, as well as that of the wild apple Malus crescimannoi and the four other endemic pears, all from Sicily. The species' epiphet honours, botanist and professor emeritus at the University of Camerino.Pyrus pedrottiana can be distinguished from other pears on the island by a number of characteristics, some of which are taxonomically important. In contrast to the wild pear, which is otherwise quite similar, the calyx is persistent in P. pedrottiana. This feature also distinguishes the species from the almond-leaved pear. The persistent calyx is shared with Ciancio's pear and the Val Demone pear, which are endemic to the same area, but differ in leaf, fruit and floral morphology, as well as in growth form.