''Pseudocydonia sinensis'' or Chinese quince () is a

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

or semi-

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

in the family

Rosaceae Rosaceae (), the rose family, is a medium-sized family of flowering plants that includes 4,828 known species in 91 genera. The name is derived from the type genus ''Rosa''. Among the most species-rich genera are ''Alchemilla'' (270), ''Sorbus ...

, native to southern and eastern

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. It is the sole species in the genus ''Pseudocydonia''. Its hard, astringent fruit is used in

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of action ...

Lim, T. K. "Pseudocydonia sinensis." Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants. Springer Netherlands, 2012. 515-522. and as a food in

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea and ...

. Trees are generally tall. The tree is closely related to the east Asian genus '' Chaenomeles'', and is sometimes placed as ''Chaenomeles'' ''sinensis'', but lacks thorns and has single, not clustered,

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s. Chinese quince is further distinguished from quince, ''

Cydonia oblonga The quince (; ''Cydonia oblonga'') is the sole member of the genus ''Cydonia'' in the Malinae subtribe (which also contains apples and pears, among other fruits) of the Rosaceae family. It is a deciduous tree that bears hard, aromatic bright ...

,'' by its serrated

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

and lack of fuzz.

Names

, both the tree and its fruit are called ''mùguā'' (), which also refers to

papaya The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus ''Carica'' of the family Caricaceae. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and ...

and the flowering quince ''(

Chaenomeles speciosa ''Chaenomeles speciosa'', the flowering quince, Chinese quince, or Japanese quinceBailey, L.H.; Bailey, E.Z.; the staff of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. ''Hortus third: A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States ...

).'' In

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

the tree is called ''mogwa-namu'' () and the fruit ''mogwa'' () (from ''mokgwa'' (; ), the Korean reading of the Chinese characters). In

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, both tree and fruit are called ''karin'' (; rarely ) except in medicine where the fruit is called ''wa-mokka'' () from the Chinese and Korean names.

Characteristics

Trees grow to 10–18 m tall, with a dense, twiggy crown. The

are alternately arranged, simple, 6–12 cm long and 3–6 cm broad, and with serrated margin. The

s are 2.5–4 cm diameter, with five pale pink

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s; flowering is in mid spring. The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

is a large ovoid

pome In botany, a pome is a type of fruit produced by flowering plants in the subtribe Malinae of the family Rosaceae. Well-known pomes include the apple, pear, and quince. Etymology The word ''pome'' entered English in the late 14th century, and re ...

12–17 cm long with five carpels; it gives off an intense, sweet smell when it ripens in late autumn.

Uses

The fruit is hard and astringent, though it softens and becomes less astringent after a period of

frost Frost is a thin layer of ice on a solid surface, which forms from water vapor in an above-freezing atmosphere coming in contact with a solid surface whose temperature is below freezing, and resulting in a phase change from water vapor (a gas) ...

. It can be used to make

jam Jam is a type of fruit preserve. Jam or Jammed may also refer to: Other common meanings * A firearm malfunction * Block signals ** Radio jamming ** Radar jamming and deception ** Mobile phone jammer ** Echolocation jamming Arts and ente ...

, much like

quince The quince (; ''Cydonia oblonga'') is the sole member of the genus ''Cydonia'' in the Malinae subtribe (which also contains apples and pears, among other fruits) of the Rosaceae family (biology), family. It is a deciduous tree that bears hard ...

. In Korea, the fruit is used to make ''

mogwa-cheong ''Cheong'' () is a name for various sweetened foods in the form of syrups, marmalades, and fruit preserves. In Korean cuisine, ''cheong'' is used as a tea base, as a honey-or-sugar-substitute in cooking, as a condiment, and also as an alternative ...

'' (preserved quince) and ''

mogwa-cha ''Mogwa-cha'' () or quince tea is a traditional Korean tea made with Chinese quince ''Pseudocydonia sinensis'' or Chinese quince () is a deciduous or semi- evergreen tree in the family Rosaceae, native to southern and eastern China. It i ...

'' (quince tea). The fruit is also used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine to treat rheumatoid arthritis (or "damp bi syndrome"). A 2007 pharmacological study suggests extracts of phytochemicals in the fruit have

antioxidant Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals. This can lead to polymerization and other chain reactions. They are frequently added to industrial products, such as fuels and lubricant ...

and

antiviral Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs do no ...

properties.Hamauzu, Yasunori, et al. "Reddish coloration of Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis) procyanidins during heat treatment and effect on antioxidant and antiinfluenza viral activities." Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 55.4 (2007): 1221-1226. The wood is frequently used in Japan for making low-end shamisen. Chinese quince is also grown as an

ornamental tree Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

. In

Haeju Haeju () is a city located in South Hwanghae Province near Haeju Bay in North Korea. It is the administrative centre of South Hwanghae Province. As of 2008, the population of the city is estimated to be 273,300. At the beginning of the 20th century ...

, North Korea two Chinese Quinces planted in 1910 are national monuments, being probably the tallest of specimens in the country.

Gallery

Image:Chaenomeles sinensis 3.JPG, Image:A trunk of Chaenomeles sinensis Koehne PC120032.jpg, Trunk detail Image:A leaf of Chaenomeles sinensis Koehne PC120027.jpg, Leaf detail Image:Pseudocydonia sinensis-Zampach-01.jpg, Autumn leaves

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1334892 Maleae Monotypic Rosaceae genera Trees of China Plants used in bonsai Fruit trees

Names

Characteristics

Uses

Gallery

See also

References