Eriobotrya

Lindley

Trans. Linn. Soc. London 13: 96, 102. 1821.

Common names: Loquat
Introduced
Etymology: Greek erion, wool, and botrys, bunch of grapes, alluding to woolly inflorescences
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 9. Treatment on page 432. Mentioned on page 19, 429, 447.
 TaxonIllustrator 
FNA9 P37 Gillenia stipulata.jpegGillenia stipulata
Vauquelinia californica subsp. californica
Eriobotrya japonica
Marjorie C. Leggitt
Marjorie C. Leggitt
Marjorie C. Leggitt

Shrubs or trees, 40–100 [–200] dm. Stems ca. 1, erect; bark gray-brown; short-shoots absent; unarmed; hairy. Leaves persistent, cauline, simple; stipules deciduous or ± persistent, free, linear, small, margins entire; petiole present; blade ± elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, 2–40 cm, leathery, margins flat, dentate, venation pinnate (craspedodromous), abaxial surface tomentose, adaxial glabrous [hairy]. Inflorescences terminal, 20–40-flowered, panicles, usually ± tomentose; bracts present at proximal nodes, leafy; bracteoles present. Pedicels present, short, or nearly absent. Flowers: perianth and androecium epigynous, 15–20 mm diam.; hypanthium urceolate, 3–4 mm, usually tomentose; sepals 5, suberect, triangular; petals 5, white, obovate to ± oblong; stamens [10–15] 20, shorter than petals; carpels (2–) 5, connate, basally adnate to hypanthium, indumentum not recorded, styles (2–) 5, terminal, proximally connate; ovules 2. Fruits pomes, soft apricot-yellow [yellow to reddish or blackish], ellipsoid to subglobose, [10–] 20–30 mm diam., softly short-hairy; hypanthium persistent; sepals usually persistent, covering hypanthial opening or reflexed; carpel walls thin; styles not persistent. Seeds 1–5 per fruit. x = 17.

Distribution

Introduced; s, se Asia, also in Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Europe, n, s Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia

Discussion

Species ca. 30 (1 in the flora).

Eriobotrya is distinctive in Maleae; among other attributes it contains the largest plants in the subfamily with forest trees to 20 m and has pomes that do not have cores but have large seeds (J. R. Rohrer et al. 1991). Important regional revisions are by J. E. Vidal (1965) and Gu C. and S. A. Spongberg (2003c). The closest relation is Rhaphiolepis Lindley (D. Potter et al. 2007), in conformity with morphologic evidence. Eriobotrya japonica provides a delectable fruit. In addition to this species cultivated and escaped in the southern United States, E. deflexa (Hemsley) Nakai may be encountered in arboreta in the same area.

Selected References

None.

"thin" is not a number."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Eriobotrya"
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
James B. Phipps +
Lindley +
gray-brown +
compound +  and simple +
opposite +  and alternate +
less elliptic +  and oblong-lanceolate +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
adnate +  and connate +
s +, se Asia +, also in Mexico +, West Indies +, Central America +, South America +, Europe +, n +, s Africa +, Pacific Islands (New Zealand) +  and Australia +
not +  and aggregated +
Greek erion, wool, and botrys, bunch of grapes, alluding to woolly inflorescences +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
not +  and aggregated +
not +  and aggregated +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
crassinucellate +
persistent +
pinnate +, dentate +  and entire +
toothed +, unlobed +  and lobed +
inferior +  and superior +
biseriate +  and clustered +
collateral +  and basal +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
0 (?) +  and 4 (?) +
free +  and distinct +
obovate;more or less oblong +
adnate +, free +, connate +  and distinct +
Trans. Linn. Soc. London +
not arillate +
persistent +
free +  and distinct +
reflexed +  and suberect +
triangular +
Introduced +
free +  and distinct +
branched +  and simple +
persistent +  and deciduous +
not persistent +
basal +, lateral +, subterminal +  and terminal +
elongate +
Eriobotrya +
Rosaceae tribe Gillenieae +
inconspicuous +
tree +  and shrub +