Loquat
Loquat fruit approaching maturity
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Rosales Family: Rosaceae Subfamily: Maloideae Genus: Eriobotrya Species: E. japonica
Binomial name
Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.
Synonyms
Mespilus japonica Photinia japonica Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 704 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Scientific classification redirects here. ... For other uses, see Plant (disambiguation). ... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of land plants. ... Magnoliopsida is the botanical name for a class of flowering plants. ... Families Barbeyaceae Cannabaceae (hemp family) Dirachmaceae Elaeagnaceae Moraceae (mulberry family) Rosaceae (rose family) Rhamnaceae (buckthorn family) Ulmaceae (elm family) Urticaceae (nettle family) For the Philippine municipality, see Rosales, Pangasinan. ... Global distribution of Rosaceae Subfamilies Rosoideae Spiraeoideae Maloideae Amygdaloideae or Prunoideae The Rosaceae or rose family is a large family of plants, with about 3,000-4,000 species in 100-120 genera. ... Genera Amelanchier - serviceberry, juneberry Aronia - chokeberry Chaenomeles - Japanese quince Cotoneaster - cotoneaster Crataegus - hawthorn Cydonia - quince Eriobotrya - loquat Eriolobus (Malus pro parte) Heteromeles - Toyon Malus - apple, crabapple Mespilus - medlar Osteomeles Photinia Pyracantha - firethorn Pyrus - pear Rhaphiolepis - Indian hawthorn Sorbus - rowan, whitebeam, service tree Stranvaesia - (Photinia pro parte) The Maloideae, or the... Species About 10, including: Eriobotrya deflexa Eriobotrya grandiflora Eriobotrya hookeriana Eriobotrya japonica - Loquat Eriobotrya prinoides Eriobotrya is a genus of about ten species of large evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosaceae, native to east and southeast Asia. ... Latin name redirects here. ... Carl Peter Thunberg (November 11, 1743 _ August 8, 1828) was a Swedish naturalist. ... John Lindley (February 8, 1799 - November 1, 1865) was an English botanist. ... In scientific nomenclature, synonyms are different scientific names used for a single taxon. ...

The loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is a fruit tree in the subfamily Maloideae of the family Rosaceae, indigenous to southeastern China. Genera Amelanchier - serviceberry, juneberry Aronia - chokeberry Chaenomeles - Japanese quince Cotoneaster - cotoneaster Crataegus - hawthorn Cydonia - quince Eriobotrya - loquat Eriolobus (Malus pro parte) Heteromeles - Toyon Malus - apple, crabapple Mespilus - medlar Osteomeles Photinia Pyracantha - firethorn Pyrus - pear Rhaphiolepis - Indian hawthorn Sorbus - rowan, whitebeam, service tree Stranvaesia - (Photinia pro parte) The Maloideae, or the... Global distribution of Rosaceae Subfamilies Rosoideae Spiraeoideae Maloideae Amygdaloideae or Prunoideae The Rosaceae or rose family is a large family of plants, with about 3,000-4,000 species in 100-120 genera. ...

Description

It is an evergreen large shrub or small tree, with a rounded crown, short trunk and woolly new twigs. The tree can grow to 5-10 m tall, but is often smaller, about 3-4 m. This article is about plant types. ... A broom shrub in flower A shrub or bush is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of woody plant, distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and lower height, usually less than 6 m tall. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ...

The leaves are alternate, simple, 10-25 cm long, dark green, tough and leathery in texture, with a serrated margin, and densely velvety-hairy below with thick yellow-brown pubescence; the young leaves are also densely pubescent above, but this soon rubs off. Look up foliage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Loquats are unusual among fruit trees in that the flowers appear in the autumn or early winter, and the fruits are ripe in late winter or early spring. In Northern California, loquats bear fruit in May, while in Southern California, loquats bear fruit in April. The flowers are 2 cm diameter, white, with five petals, and produced in stiff panicles of three to ten flowers. The flowers have a sweet, heady aroma that can be smelled from a distance. For other uses, see Flower (disambiguation). ... White-fruited Rowan (Sorbus glabrescens) corymb; note the branched structures holding the fruits. ...

Loquat fruits, growing in clusters, are oval, rounded or pear-shaped, 3-5 cm long, with a smooth or downy, yellow or orange, sometimes red-blushed skin. The succulent, tangy flesh is white, yellow or orange and sweet to subacid or acid, depending on the cultivar. Each fruit contains five ovules, of which three to five mature into large brown seeds. The skin, though thin, can be peeled off manually if the fruit is ripe. This Osteospermum Pink Whirls is a successful cultivar. ...

Loquat in flower. This is a cultivar intended for home-growing, where the flowers open gradually, and thus the fruit also ripens gradually, compared to the commercially grown species where the flowers open almost simultaneously, and the whole tree's fruit also ripens together.

The fruits are the sweetest when soft and yellow. Image File history File links BlossomingLoquat. ... Image File history File links BlossomingLoquat. ... This Osteospermum Pink Whirls is a successful cultivar. ...

Use

The loquat is comparable to the apricot in many aspects, with a high sugar, acid and pectin content. It is eaten as a fresh fruit and mixes well with other fruits in fresh fruit salads or fruit cups. Firm, slightly immature fruits are best for making pies or tarts. The fruits are also commonly used to make jam, jelly, and chutney, and are delicious poached in light syrup. Binomial name Prunus armeniaca L. For other uses, see Apricot (disambiguation). ... Pectin, a white to light brown powder, is a heterosaccharide derived from the cell wall of higher terrestrial plants. ... Jam from berries Jam (also known as jelly or preserves) is a type of sweet spread or condiment made with fruits or sometimes vegetables, sugar, and sometimes pectin if the fruits natural pectin content is insufficient to produce a thick product. ... Three varieties of fruit preserves: strawberry, quince, and red plum Fruit preserves refers to fruit, or vegetables, that have been prepared, canned or jarred for long term storage. ... This article is about the condiment. ... In cooking, a syrup (from Arabic شراب sharab, beverage, via Latin siropus) is a thick, viscous liquid, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars, but showing little tendency to deposit crystals. ...

A type of loquat syrup is used in Chinese medicine for soothing the throat like a cough drop. Combined with other ingredients and known as pipa gao (枇杷膏; pinyin: pípágāo; literally "loquat paste"), it acts as a demulcent and an expectorant, as well as to soothe the digestive and respiratory systems. Loquats can also be used to make wine. Traditional Chinese medicine shop in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. ... Cough drop is a term used to describe any lozenge for the purpose of soothing a sore throat or to alleviate excessive coughing. ... King-to Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa (京都念奄川貝枇杷膏) or more commonly, Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa or simply Pei Pa Koa is a Traditional Chinese natural herbal remedy used for the relief of sore throat, coughs, hoarseness, and loss of voice. ... Demulcent herbs often have a high content of mucilage, making them ideal to soothe and protect irritated or inflammed internal tissues of the body. ... A cough medicine or antitussive is a medication given to people to help them stop coughing. ...

Like most related plants, the seeds (pips) and young leaves of the plant are slightly poisonous, containing small amounts of cyanogenetic glycocides which release cyanide when digested, though the low concentration and bitter flavour normally prevents enough being eaten to cause harm. This article is about the chemical compound. ...

History

Loquats and a Mountain Bird, by an anonymous Chinese artist of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279).

The Loquat is a fruit of Southeastern Chinese origin. It was introduced into Japan and became naturalised there in very early times, and has been cultivated there for over 1,000 years. It has also become naturalised in India and many other areas. Chinese immigrants are presumed to have carried the loquat to Hawaii. Chinese Jade ornament with flower design, Jin Dynasty (1115-1234 AD), Shanghai Museum. ... Alternative meaning: Song Dynasty (420-479) The Song dynasty (Chinese: 宋朝) was a ruling dynasty in China from 960-1279. ... In biology, naturalisation is the process when foreign or cultivated plants have spread into the wild, where they multiply by natural regeneration. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ...

The Loquat was often mentioned in ancient Chinese literature, such as the poems of Li Bai. Li Po redirects here. ...

Eaten in quantity, loquats have a noticeable but gentle sedative effect, with effects lasting up to 24 hours.

Production

Japan is a leading producer of loquats (January to June)^{[citation needed]}, followed by Taiwan and China (March to July). They are also grown in the Mediterranean region (for example in Cyprus, France, Israel, Palestine, Italy, Albania, Lebanon, Malta, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Syria, Turkey), as well as in Armenia^{[citation needed]}, Abkhazia, Australia, Bermuda (where it is commonly used in jam), Brazil, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Portugal. In Cyprus they are called mespila where in Greece they are called mousmoula. The Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around and surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea. ... A 2003 satellite image of the region. ... Abkhazia (pronounced or , Apsny, Georgian: Apkhazeti or Abkhazeti, Russian: Abhazia) is an autonomous region of Georgia in the Caucasus. ...

Cultivation

The Loquat is easy to grow and is often also grown as an ornamental tree; it was commonly grown in California by the 1870s. It also thrives in the humid south-east Texas (Houston) climate, as well as all over Israel. The boldly textured foliage adds a tropical look to gardens, contrasting well with many other plants. An ornamental plant is a plant species or cultivar that is grown indoors, or in gardens and parks for its amenity value, or for beauty (in its end use), rather than commercial or other value. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Texass climate varies widely, from arid in the west to wet in the east. ...

Etymology

The name loquat derives from lou4 gwat1, the Cantonese pronunciation of its old classical Chinese name (simplified Chinese: 芦橘; traditional Chinese: 蘆橘; pinyin: lújú, literally "reed orange"). In modern Chinese, it is more commonly known as pipa (Chinese: 枇杷; pinyin: pípá), from the resemblance of its shape to that of the Chinese musical instrument pipa (琵琶). Likewise, in Japanese it is called biwa, similarly named from the corresponding musical instrument, biwa. It is also known as the "Japanese medlar", an appellation used in many languages: nêspera or magnório (Portuguese), níspero (Spanish), lokaat (Hindi), japanska mušmula ili nešpula (Croatian), naspli (Maltese), nespola (Italian), náspolya (Hungarian), nespra (Catalan), nèfle du Japon or bibasse (French). Other names include: sheseq (Hebrew), Askidinya, Akkidinya, Aki Dini,Igadinya or Bashmala (Arabic), Akkadeneh or Akka Dhuniya (Lebanese), zger or Nor Ashkhar (Armenian), mushmala (Georgian), mousmoula or mespilia (Greek), muşmula, yeni dünya, or Malta Eriği in Turkish. The Armenian name Nor Ashkhar and the Turkish name yeni dünya literally mean "new world", while the everyday Turkish name for the fruit, Malta eriği, means 'Maltese plum', indicating perhaps confusion over the fruit's origin. This article is about all of the Cantonese (Yue) dialects. ... Simplified Chinese character (Simplified Chinese: or ; traditional Chinese: or ; pinyin: or ) is one of two standard sets of Chinese characters of the contemporary Chinese written language. ... Traditional Chinese characters refers to one of two standard sets of printed Chinese characters. ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... A woman plays the pipa in the New York City Subways Times Square Station, 2004. ... For other uses, see Biwa (disambiguation). ... Species Mespilus canescens Mespilus germanica Common-Medlar flowers Medlar fruit, cv. ... Hindi (DevanāgarÄ«: or , IAST: , IPA:  ), an Indo-European language spoken all over India in varying degrees and extensively in northern and central India, is one of the 22 official languages of India and is used, along with English, for central government administrative purposes. ... Catalan IPA: (català IPA: or []) is a Romance language, the national language of Andorra, and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencia, and in the city of LAlguer in the Italian island of Sardinia. ... Hebrew redirects here. ... Arabic redirects here. ...

See also

• Kumquat (Although Kumquats are not related botanically to Loquats, the two names share an origin in their old Chinese names.)

• Botanical and Horticultural Information on the Loquat (Traditional Chinese)

Species See text Potted kumquat trees at a kumquat liqueur distillery on Corfu. ...

External links

• Loquat Fruit Facts from the California Rare Fruit Growers
• Loquat page from Purdue University Center for New Crops & Plant Products site
• Making beer with loquats in Escondido, California, USA (Video)

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Loquat