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34-407: Poirier is a French surname, meaning pear tree (cf. poire ). Those bearing this surname include: Pear tree About 30 species; see text Pears are fruits produced and consumed around the world, growing on a tree and harvested in late summer into mid-autumn. The pear tree and shrub are a species of genus Pyrus / ˈ p aɪ r ə s / , in the family Rosaceae , bearing
68-403: A bulbous end. The fruit is a pseudofruit composed of the receptacle or upper end of the flower stalk (the so-called calyx tube) greatly dilated. Enclosed within its cellular flesh is the true fruit: 2–5 ' cartilaginous ' carpels , known colloquially as the "core". Pears and apples cannot always be distinguished by the form of the fruit; some pears look very much like some apples, e.g.
102-489: A lesser degree. Other species are used as rootstocks for European and Asian pears and as ornamental trees . Pear wood is close-grained and has been used as a specialized timber for fine furniture and making the blocks for woodcuts . The Manchurian or Ussurian Pear, Pyrus ussuriensis (which produces unpalatable fruit primarily used for canning) has been crossed with Pyrus communis to breed hardier pear cultivars. The Bradford pear ( Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford')
136-508: A moderate amount of dietary fiber , and no micronutrients in significant amounts (table). A 2019 review found preliminary evidence for the potential of pear consumption to favorably affect cardiovascular health. Pears grow in the sublime orchard of Alcinous , in the Odyssey vii: "Therein grow trees, tall and luxuriant, pears and pomegranates and apple -trees with their bright fruit, and sweet figs , and luxuriant olives . Of these
170-497: A recipe for a spiced, stewed-pear patina , or soufflé . Romans also introduced the fruit to Britain. Pyrus nivalis , which has white down on the undersurface of the leaves, is chiefly used in Europe in the manufacture of perry (see also cider ). Other small-fruited pears, distinguished by their early ripening and globose fruit, may be referred to as P. cordata , a species found wild in southwestern Europe. The genus
204-565: Is accelerated by the gas ethylene . If pears are placed next to bananas in a fruit bowl, the ethylene emitted by the banana causes the pears to ripen. Refrigeration will slow further ripening. According to Pear Bureau Northwest, most varieties show little color change as they ripen (though the skin on Bartlett pears changes from green to yellow as they ripen). Pears are consumed fresh, canned, as juice , and dried . The juice can also be used in jellies and jams , usually in combination with other fruits, including berries. Fermented pear juice
238-1235: Is an alternate form of this word sometimes used in medieval Latin . The pear is native to coastal, temperate, and mountainous regions of the Old World , from Western Europe and North Africa east across Asia. They are medium-sized trees, reaching up to 20 m tall, often with a tall, narrow crown; a few pear species are shrubby . The leaves are alternately arranged, simple, 2–12 cm (1– 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) long, glossy green on some species, densely silvery-hairy in some others; leaf shape varies from broad oval to narrow lanceolate. Most pears are deciduous , but one or two species in Southeast Asia are evergreen . Some pears are cold-hardy, withstanding temperatures as low as −25 to −40 °C (−13 to −40 °F) in winter, but many grown for agriculture are vulnerable to cold damage. Evergreen species only tolerate temperatures down to about −12 °C (10 °F). The flowers are white, rarely tinted yellow or pink, 2–4 centimetres (1– 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) diameter, and have five petals , five sepals , and numerous stamens . Like that of
272-573: Is called perry or pear cider and is made in a way that is similar to how cider is made from apples. Perry can be distilled to produce an eau de vie de poire , a colorless, unsweetened fruit brandy. Pear purée is used to manufacture snack foods such as Fruit by the Foot and Fruit Roll-Ups . The culinary or cooking pear is green but dry and hard, and only edible after several hours of cooking. Two Dutch cultivars are Gieser Wildeman (a sweet variety) and Saint Remy (slightly sour). Pear wood
306-411: Is consumed fresh, canned , as juice , dried , or fermented as perry . The word pear is probably from Germanic pera as a loanword of Vulgar Latin pira , the plural of pirum , akin to Greek apios (from Mycenaean ápisos ), of Semitic origin ( pirâ ), meaning "fruit". The adjective pyriform or piriform means pear-shaped. The classical Latin word for a pear tree is pirus ; pyrus
340-746: Is one of the preferred materials in the manufacture of high-quality woodwind instruments and furniture , and was used for making the carved blocks for woodcuts . It is also used for wood carving, and as a firewood to produce aromatic smoke for smoking meat or tobacco . Pear wood is valued for kitchen spoons, scoops and stirrers, as it does not contaminate food with color, flavor or smell, and resists warping and splintering despite repeated soaking and drying cycles. Lincoln describes it as "a fairly tough, very stable wood... (used for) carving... brushbacks, umbrella handles, measuring instruments such as set squares and T-squares... recorders... violin and guitar fingerboards and piano keys... decorative veneering." Pearwood
374-424: Is the favored wood for architect's rulers because it does not warp. It is similar to the wood of its relative, the apple tree ( Malus domestica ) and used for many of the same purposes. Raw pear is 84% water, 15% carbohydrates and contains negligible protein and fat (table). In a 100 g ( 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 oz) reference amount, raw pear supplies 239 kilojoules (57 kilocalories) of food energy ,
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#1732779619100408-494: Is the settlement Robenhausen at the Pfäffikersee , discovered and researched by Jakob Messikommer at the end of the 19th century, which was continuously inhabited for thousands of years. Archaeological excavations were conducted in only some of the sites in order to preserve the heritage for future generations. Nevertheless, the excavations yielded evidence that provides insight into life in prehistoric times during
442-616: Is thought to have originated in present-day Western China in the foothills of the Tian Shan , a mountain range of Central Asia, and to have spread to the north and south along mountain chains, evolving into a diverse group of over 20 widely recognized primary species. The enormous number of varieties of the cultivated European pear ( Pyrus communis subsp. communis ), are likely derived from one or two wild subspecies ( P. c. subsp. pyraster and P. c. subsp. caucasica ), widely distributed throughout Europe, and sometimes forming part of
476-664: Is widespread as an ornamental tree in North America, where it has become invasive in regions. It is also used as a blight-resistant rootstock for Pyrus communis fruit orchards. The Willow-leaved pear ( Pyrus salicifolia ) is grown for its silvery leaves, flowers, and its "weeping" form. The following cultivars have gained the Royal Horticultural Society 's Award of Garden Merit : The purely decorative cultivar P. salicifolia 'Pendula', with pendulous branches and silvery leaves, has also won
510-832: The Celtic languages , while in Slavic and other dialects, differing appellations still referring to the same thing are found—a diversity and multiplicity of nomenclature , which led Alphonse Pyramus de Candolle to infer a very ancient cultivation of the tree from the shores of the Caspian to those of the Atlantic. The pear was also cultivated by the Romans, who ate the fruits raw or cooked, just like apples. Pliny's Natural History recommended stewing them with honey and noted three dozen varieties. The Roman cookbook De re coquinaria has
544-483: The Linth and Jona . Because the lake has grown in size over time, most of the original piles are now around 4 metres (13 ft) to 7 metres (23 ft) under the water level of 406 metres (1,332 ft), giving modern observers the false impression that they always had been surrounded by water. Most of the settlements were inhabited for some decades and then re-erected at a quite different location. A notable exception
578-570: The Neolithic and Bronze Age in Alpine Europe and the way communities interacted with their environment. The settlements are a unique group of exceptionally well-preserved and culturally rich archaeological sites, which constitute one of the most important sources for the study of early agrarian societies. Sources, among them area, date and location as well as coordinates and ID, used in the table base on Prehistoric pile dwellings around
612-693: The cantons of Schwyz , St. Gallen and Zurich . The article focuses on the 9 Lake Zurich sites that are among the 111 sites included in the UNESCO World Heritage Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps established in 2011. 56 of the 111 UNESCO World Heritage pile dwelling sites are located in Switzerland and 9 thereof are located on the Lake Zurich seashore. The article also includes one UNESCO World Heritage site at
646-654: The cantons of Schwyz , St. Gallen and Zurich . The pile-dwelling sites were built from around 5000 BC to 500 BC. Contrary to popular belief, the settlements were not erected over water, but on nearby marshy land, among them on the Seedamm respectively Frauenwinkel area, or, on the then swamp land between the Limmat and Lake Zurich around Sechseläutenplatz on small islands and peninsulas in Zurich. The settlements were set on piles to protect against occasional flooding by
680-642: The nashi pear . Pear cultivation in temperate climates extends to the remotest antiquity, and evidence exists of its use as a food since prehistoric times. Many traces have been found in prehistoric pile dwellings around Lake Zurich . Pears were cultivated in China as early as 2000 BC. An article on Pear tree cultivation in Spain is brought down in Ibn al-'Awwam 's 12th-century agricultural work, Book on Agriculture . The word pear , or its equivalent, occurs in all
714-486: The pomaceous fruit of the same name. Several species of pears are valued for their edible fruit and juices, while others are cultivated as trees. The tree is medium-sized and native to coastal and mildly temperate regions of Europe, North Africa, and Asia. Pear wood is one of the preferred materials in the manufacture of high-quality woodwind instruments and furniture . About 3,000 known varieties of pears are grown worldwide, which vary in both shape and taste. The fruit
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#1732779619100748-527: The Alps , and are listed as references. The list bases on the dates of December 2014. Excavations of the "Pan-European stilt house settlements" began at Lake Zurich in Switzerland. During the winter of 1853–54, in the context of lowered water levels at Lake Zurich, archaeologist Ferdinand Keller discovered the remains of the Meilen–Rorenhaab site. Probably the majority of the important sites of
782-635: The Alps . Examples include: The Greifensee is located at a distance of appromimately 7km to the northeast of Lake Zurich. The Pfäffikersee is located at a distance of appromimately 6km to the east of the Greifensee. As well as being part of the 56 Swiss sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, each of these 11 prehistoric sites is also listed in the Swiss inventory of cultural property of national and regional significance as
816-410: The award. Summer and autumn cultivars of Pyrus communis , being climacteric fruits , are gathered before they are fully ripe, while they are still green, but snap off when lifted. Certain other pears, including Pyrus pyrifolia and P. × bretschneideri , have both climacteric and non-climacteric varieties. In 2022, world production of pears was 26 million tonnes , led by China with 73% of
850-545: The best-known of the Vainakh peoples today being the Chechens of Chechnya . Pear and walnut trees were held to be the sacred abodes of beneficent spirits in pre-Islamic Chechen religion and, for this reason, it was forbidden to fell them. Prehistoric pile dwellings around Lake Zurich Download coordinates as: Prehistoric pile dwellings around Lake Zurich are pile dwelling sites located around Lake Zurich in
884-463: The cultivated forms. According to Pear Bureau Northwest, about 3,000 known varieties of pears are grown worldwide. The pear is normally propagated by grafting a selected variety onto a rootstock , which may be of a pear or quince variety. Quince rootstocks produce smaller trees, which is often desirable in commercial orchards or domestic gardens. For new varieties the flowers can be cross-bred to preserve or combine desirable traits. The fruit of
918-514: The fruit perishes not nor fails in winter or in summer, but lasts throughout the year." "A Partridge in a Pear Tree" is the first gift in the cumulative song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" . The pear tree was an object of particular veneration (as was the walnut ) in the tree worship of the Nakh peoples of the North Caucasus – see Vainakh mythology and see also Ingushetia –
952-759: The natural vegetation of the forests. Court accounts of Henry III of England record pears shipped from La Rochelle-Normande and presented to the king by the sheriffs of the City of London. The French names of pears grown in English medieval gardens suggest that their reputation, at the least, was French; a favoured variety in the accounts was named for Saint Rieul of Senlis , Bishop of Senlis in northern France. Asian species with medium to large edible fruit include P. pyrifolia , P. ussuriensis , P. × bretschneideri , and P. × sinkiangensis . Small-fruited species, such as Pyrus calleryana , may be used as rootstocks for
986-532: The nearby Greifensee and one UNESCO World Heritage site at the Pfäffikersee . The 11 sites described here are only a selection, just like the 111 UNESCO World Heritage sites are only a selection of more than 900 known sites of prehistoric pile dwellings in the Alpine region. The 11 prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) sites are concentrated within an area of about 40 square kilometres (15 sq mi), on Lake Zurich , specifically Obersee lakeshore in
1020-837: The pear is produced on spurs, which appear on shoots more than one year old. There are four species which are primarily grown for edible fruit production: the European pear Pyrus communis subsp. communis cultivated mainly in Europe and North America, the Chinese white pear ( bai li ) Pyrus × bretschneideri , the Chinese pear Pyrus ussuriensis , and the Nashi pear Pyrus pyrifolia (also known as Asian pear or apple pear), which are grown mainly in eastern Asia. There are thousands of cultivars of these three species. A species grown in western China, P. sinkiangensis , and P. pashia , grown in southern China and south Asia, are also produced to
1054-412: The related apple , the pear fruit is a pome , in most wild species 1–4 cm ( 1 ⁄ 2 – 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) diameter, but in some cultivated forms up to 18 cm (7 in) long and 9 cm ( 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) broad. The shape varies in most species from oblate or globose, to the classic pyriform " pear shape " of the European pear with an elongated basal portion and
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1088-563: The site of prehistoric lake crossings between Hurden and Rapperswil (today's main lake crossing in this area is the Rapperswil Seedamm ). The dwelling sites Hurden Seefeld and Technikum are closely associated with these prehistoric lake crossings; the Feldbach site is also not far away. The following nine Lake Zurich sites are among the 111 sites included in the UNESCO World Heritage Prehistoric pile dwellings around
1122-404: The so-called Horgen culture are situated on lakeshore, including Grosser Hafner on a former lake island and Kleiner Hafner on a peninsula at Sechseläutenplatz respectively at the effluence of the Limmat , and Zurich–Enge Alpenquai within an area of about 0.2 hectares (0.49 acres) in the city of Zurich. Freienbach–Hurden Rosshorn is a unique site because it was not a dwelling site but
1156-614: The total (table). About 48% of the Southern Hemisphere 's pears are produced in the Patagonian valley of Río Negro in Argentina. Pears may be stored at room temperature until ripe. Pears are ripe when the flesh around the stem gives to gentle pressure. Ripe pears are optimally stored refrigerated, uncovered in a single layer, where they have a shelf life of 2 to 3 days. Pears ripen at room temperature. Ripening
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