Pyrus (genus) en

Genus containing around 30 species of medium sized trees native to coastal and mildly temperate regions of the Old World, from western Europe, north Africa, and Asia. It is one of the most important fruit trees of the world and is cultivated in all temperate-zone countries of both hemispheres. Valued for fleshy edible fruit (a pome), typically having a broad base and tapering or constricted towards the stalk, and having sweet taste, soft texture, and distinguished by the presence of hard cells in the flesh, the so-called grit, or stone cells. Pear trees are relatively long-lived (50 to 75 years), may reach considerable size unless carefully trained and pruned, and are valued for timber.