Pear

Pear fruits are generally sweeter and of softer texture than apples and are distinguished by the presence of hard cells in the flesh, the so-called grit, or stone cells. In general, pear fruits are elongate, being narrow at the stem end and broader at the opposite end. Pears are usually propagated by budding or grafting onto a rootstock, usually of Pyrus communis origin. In Europe the main rootstock used is quince (Cydonia oblonga), which produces a dwarfed tree that fruits at an earlier age than most of the trees on pear rootstocks.