''Chaenomeles'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of four species https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:331479-2 of

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, ...

spiny shrubs, usually 1–3 m tall, in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Rosaceae. They are native to

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...

. These plants are related to the quince (''Cydonia oblonga'') and the

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 is the sole species in the genus ''Pseudocydonia''. Its hard, astringent fruit is used in t ...

(''Pseudocydonia sinensis''), differing in the serrated leaves that lack fuzz, and in the

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, borne in clusters, having deciduous

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...

s and styles that are connate at the base. The leaves are alternately arranged, simple, and have a serrated margin. The flowers are 3–4.5 cm diameter, with five petals, and are usually bright orange-red, but can be white or pink; flowering is in late winter or early 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 pome with five carpels; it ripens in late autumn. ''Chaenomeles'' is used as a food plant by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e of some Lepidoptera species including the

brown-tail The brown-tail moth (''Euproctis chrysorrhoea'') is a moth of the family Erebidae. It is native to Europe, neighboring countries in Asia, and the north coast of Africa. Descriptions of outbreaks, i.e., large population increases of several year ...

and the leaf-miner '' Bucculatrix pomifoliella''.

Common names

Although all quince species have flowers, gardeners in the West often refer to these species as "flowering quince", since ''Chaenomeles'' are grown ornamentally for their flowers, not for their fruits. These plants have also been called "Japanese quince", and the name "japonica" (referring to ''C. japonica'') was widely used for these plants in the 19th and 20th centuries, although this common name is not particularly distinctive, since ''japonica'' is a specific epithet shared by many other plants. The names "japonica" or "Japanese quince" were (and still are) often loosely applied to ''Chaenomeles'' in general, regardless of their species. The most commonly cultivated ''Chaenomeles'' referred to as "japonica" are actually the hybrid ''C. × superba'' and ''C. speciosa''; ''C. japonica'' itself is not as commonly grown.

Species and hybrids

Four named hybrids have been bred in gardens. The most common is ''C. × superba'' (hybrid ''C. speciosa'' × ''C. japonica''), while ''C. × vilmoriniana'' is a hybrid ''C. speciosa'' × ''C. cathayensis'', and ''C. × clarkiana'' is a hybrid ''C. japonica'' × ''C. cathayensis''. The hybrid ''C. × californica'' is a tri-species hybrid (''C. × superba'' × ''C. cathayensis''). Numerous named

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s of all of these hybrids are available in the

horticultural Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

trade.

Uses

The species have become popular ornamental shrubs in parts of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

and North America, grown in

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

s both for their bright flowers and as a spiny barrier. Some

s grow up to 2 m tall, but others are much smaller and creeping. The fruits are hard and – although less

astringent An astringent (sometimes called adstringent) is a chemical that shrinks or constricts body tissues. The word derives from the Latin ''adstringere'', which means "to bind fast". Calamine lotion, witch hazel, and yerba mansa, a Californian pla ...

than quinces – are unpleasant to eat raw, tasting like an unripe apple with the acidity of a lemon, though they do soften and become less astringent after frost (via the process of

bletting Bletting is a process of softening that certain fleshy fruits undergo, beyond ripening. There are some fruits that are either sweeter after some bletting, such as sea buckthorn, or for which most varieties can be eaten raw only after bletting, such ...

). The fruits are suitable for making liqueurs, as well as

marmalade Marmalade is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water. The well-known version is made from bitter orange. It is also made from lemons, limes, grapefruits, mandarins, sweet oranges, bergamot ...

and preserves, as they contain more pectin than

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

s and true quinces. The tree is suitable for cultivation as a bonsai.

References

External links

''Chaenomeles speciosa'' entry in Plants for a Future database

{{Taxonbar, from=Q157616 Japanese fruit Maleae Plants used in bonsai Rosaceae genera