Pyrus boissieriana, the Boissier pear and telka, is a deciduous tree or large shrub in the family Rosaceae, native to the mountainous woodlands of northern Iran. It is one of the most widespread wild pears in the region, valued for its hardiness and attractive fruit.
Pyrus boissieriana grows as a tree or shrub to 10 m tall, often with a broad, irregular crown and stout spines on the lower branches. Buds are ovoid and soon shed their membranous stipules. Leaves are glossy dark green above, pale and sparsely hairy beneath, broadly to , typically 3âÂÂ6 by 2.5âÂÂ5.0 cm, with a to rounded base and margin. In spring, it bears of 5âÂÂ15 white flowers, each 11âÂÂ14 by 8âÂÂ11 mm, with a short, cupâÂÂshaped hypanthium and 15âÂÂ20 . By late summer it produces small, to subpyriform pomes, 0.7âÂÂ1.5 cm in diameter, yellowâÂÂbrown and densely covered in pale or brown lenticels. Flowering occurs in late April to early May, with ripe fruit from late August to late September.
This species is widespread across the Alborz and Kopet Dag mountain ranges of northern Iran and into adjacent Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. It grows in humid Hyrcanian forests and their transitional zones at 600âÂÂ2000 m elevation, often alongside Quercus, Acer, Ulmus, Fagus, Alnus and other broadâÂÂleaved trees and shrubs. It tolerates a range of soils but favours wellâÂÂdrained slopes and light woodland cover.
Pyrus boissieriana was first described by Friedrich Buhse in 1860 from specimens collected at Radkan near Gorgan (type in LEâÂÂ1046âÂÂa). It is placed in Pyrus section Pashia, whose members share deciduous and fruit. Although closely related to Pyrus pashia, it is distinguished by its broadly orbicular leaves, slender yet often stiff fruiting pedicels (2âÂÂ5 cm long) and its specific distribution in western Asia.