Fruit morphological variability and chemical composition in European wild pear (Pyrus pyraster (L.) Burgsd.) natural populations

European wild pear (Pyrus pyraster (L.) Burgsd., Rosaceae) is one of the most important wild fruit tree species in Europe. Its fruits serve as an important source of nutrition for small mammals and local communities. In this study, we aimed to investigate the morphological and chemical characteristics of European wild pear fruits, their population variability and the relationship between fruit characteristics and geographical and environmental conditions. The study included nine natural populations and a total of 47 individuals, on which 12 fruit morphological traits and chemical composition were analysed. The average fruit was 2.3 cm long and 2.7 cm wide, with a stalk length of 2.7 cm. The average seed length and width were 6.3 and 4.2 mm, respectively. In total, European wild pear fresh fruits contained 70.7% of water, 0.25% of crude fat, 0.91% of crude protein, 0.65% of ash, 2.1% of glucose and 4.7% of fructose. Significant differences were found for all of the measured fruit traits on within-, and for majority of them on the among-population level. In addition, populations differed significantly in ash, fructose, protein and glucose content. A total of 39 significant correlations were observed between the studied morphological and chemical traits and geographic and environmental variables. Fruits of European wild pear were found to get smaller and contain more fructose along the altitudinal gradient. These results provide useful information about the morphological and chemical variability of European wild pear populations, which is important for further conservation, breeding, and afforestation programs.