Differences between Malus domestica and Malus pumila

Today, Malus domestica and Malus pumila are largely treated as synonyms, but their historical use caused significant confusion. The key difference is one of taxonomic clarity:

• Malus domestica (Borkh.): This is the clear, widely accepted scientific name for the common domesticated apple that we eat. The name "domestica" literally means "domesticated." It accurately describes the cultivated, hybrid-origin apple that has been selected by humans for millennia.
• Malus pumila (Mill.): This name, meaning "dwarf apple," is now considered ambiguous and a source of confusion. Historically, it was inconsistently applied to:
  • The domesticated apple itself.
  • The wild Paradise Apple, a specific ancestor of dwarfing rootstocks.
  • Other wild crabapple species in Europe and Asia.

In modern botany, Malus domestica is the preferred name because it is specific to the cultivated, edible apple, whereas Malus pumila is an older, problematic name that has been applied to too many different plants to be useful.