Malus sylvestris is a species of apple, native to central Europe. It is the ancestor of the European cultivated apple varieties. Its scientific name means forest apple. Cultivated apples used to be known as Malus sylvestris var. domestica (Borkh) Mansf. They are now known as Malus domestica Borkh. non Poir.

Sources

M.H.A. Hoffman, List of names of woody plants, Applied Plant Research, Boskoop 2005. RHS dictionary of gardening, 1992

Apples | Trees