The crab apple is the most widespread wild relative of the apple tree in Europe. Although it is more extended in the northern regions, in Spain this species is mainly located on mountainous areas. Archaeobotanical records show that human beings have used Malus sylvestris since ancient times. After an exhaustive search in almost 200 ethnobotanical and ethnographical works, a compilation of the traditional knowledge registered on Malus sylvestris in Spain is presented here. A total of 60 use-reports of 6 main use categories were registered, Human food being the most widespread, with almost half of the use-reports. Crab apples, often called maíllas in Spanish, were consumed either raw, usually after frost or over-maturation, or cooked, in jams and bakery. Other important food use was the elaboration of alcoholic beverages, both cider and, especially, liqueurs by macerating crab apples in liquor for several months. Besides Human food, the following important uses were as a rootstock for grafting apple tree; as medicinal remedies mentioned for treating several ailments, mainly those related with digestive system; and finally, the use of the ripe crab apples as air freshener thanks to their strong aroma. This study have shown the importance of this species in the past and may be a starting point for further research in several fields, such as Pharmacology, Cosmetics and Food Industry and could also serve for the revaluation and protection of this wild genetic resource.

山楂苹果是欧洲苹果树最广泛的野生近缘种。尽管它在北部地区扩展更广，但在西班牙，该物种主要位于山区。考古植物学记录表明，人类自古以来就使用樟子松。在详尽搜索了近200种民族植物学和民族志作品之后，这里介绍了西班牙在樟树上注册的传统知识的汇编。总共登记了6个主要用途类别的60个使用报告，其中人类食品是最广泛的，几乎有一半的使用报告。山楂苹果，通常被称为maíllas在西班牙，通常是在霜冻或过熟后食用，或是在果酱和面包房中煮熟的。其他重要的食品用途是将苹果酒在酒中浸软几个月，从而制作出苹果酒，尤其是利口酒等含酒精饮料。除人类食品外，以下重要用途还用作嫁接苹果树的砧木；作为治疗多种疾病的药物，主要是与消化系统有关的疾病；最后，由于其强大的香气，可将成熟的山楂苹果用作空气清新剂。这项研究表明了该物种在过去的重要性，它可能是在一些领域（如药理学，化妆品和食品工业）进行进一步研究的起点，也可能有助于重估和保护这种野生遗传资源。