IPhumezi
I-aphula yisithelo esiyindilinga, esidliwayo esikhiqizwa isihlahla sama-aphula (i-Malus spp., phakathi kwazo i-aphula lasekhaya noma lesihlahla sesithelo; i-Malus domestica). Izihlahla zama-aphula zitshalwa emhlabeni wonke futhi ziyizinhlobo ezitshalwa kakhulu zohlobo lwe - Malus. Lo muthi wavela e-Asia Ephakathi, lapho kusatholakala khona ukhokho wawo wasendle, iMalus sieversii. Ama-aphula abelokhu etshalwa izinkulungwane zeminyaka e-Eurasia futhi afakwa eNyakatho Melika ngabakholoni baseYurophu. Ama-aphula anencazelo engokwenkolo nezinganekwane emasikweni amaningi, kuhlanganise namasiko amaNorse, amaGreki namaKristu aseYurophu.
Ama-aphula akhuliswa ngembewu ngokuvamile ahluke kakhulu kulawo angawomzali wawo, futhi isithelo esivelayo ngokuvamile asibi nazo izici ezifiselekayo. Ngezinhloso zokuhweba, kuhlanganise nokuhlola izitshalo, izinhlobo zama-aphula zanda ngokufakelwa kwe-clonal emithonjeni. Izihlahla zama-aphula ezikhule ngaphandle kwezimpande zivame ukuba zinkulu futhi zithela kancane ngemva kokutshala. Izimpande zisetshenziselwa ukulawula ijubane lokukhula nobukhulu besihlahla esivelayo, okuvumela ukuvunwa okulula.
Kunezinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-7 500 zama-aphula. Izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zifuyelwa ukunambitheka nokusetshenziswa okuhlukahlukene, kuhlanganise nokupheka, ukudla okuluhlaza, nokukhiqiza i-cider noma ijusi le-aphula. Izihlahla nezithelo zithambekele ezinkingeni ze-fungal, zamagciwane, nezilokazane, ezingalawulwa ngezindlela eziningana eziphilayo nezingaphili. Ngo-2010, i-genome yesithelo yalandelwa njengengxenye yocwaningo lokulawulwa kwezifo nokuzalanisa okukhethiwe ekukhiqizeni ama-aphula.