Pear tree (Pyrus Marus subsp. hortensis)

A European rosaceous plant of the Pomoideae, usually shrubby, and widely cultivated in Madeira. The apple tree is one of the many garden varieties of this species. It is easily told apart from the pear tree by its flattened fruits, which have finer flesh and a more pleasant flavour. The best apples come from Camacha, Santo António da Serra and other high-lying places on the island, whereas pears are found everywhere, some of them quite tasty once ripe. The pêro-vime, the pêro-estopa, the pêro-doce, the maçã-barral, the maçã-reineta, the maçã-cara-de-cama and the maçã-pino-de-ouro are the best-known varieties in Madeira.

In the past a great deal of wine was made from the juice or must of pears and apples and sold to consumers as grape wine. Today the vinification of these fruits is prohibited, but they may be used to make cider, a pleasant drink that is widely consumed in many countries.