Eriobotrya japonica

Eriobotrya japonica (loquat) is a species of flowering plant in the Rosaceae family. It is a fruit tree indigenous to southeast China. The loquat was formerly thought to have been closely related to the Mespilus genus, and is still sometimes referred to as the Japanese medlar.

Description
It is an evergreen shrub or small tree with a rounded crown, a short trunk, and woolly new twigs. The loquat tree can grow 5-10 m tall, but is usually smaller, between 3-4 m tall.

The leaves are alternate, simple, tough and leathery in texture, with a serrated margin, and densly velvety-hairy below the yellow-brown pubescense; the young leaves are also densly pubescent above, but this quickly rubs off. They reach from 10-25 cm long, and are dark green in color.

Loquats are unusual among several other fruit trees, because the flowers appear in autumn or early winter, and the fruits ripen in late winter or early spring. The flowers are 2 cm in diameter, have 5 white petals, and are produced on stiff panicles of three to ten flowers. They have a sweet aroma that can be smelled from a distance.

Loquat fruits, which are borne in clusters, are ovular, rounded, or pear-shaped with a smooth or downy yellow or orange, sometimes red-blushed skin. They reach 3-5 cm long. The succulent, tangy flesh is colored white, yellow, or orange and is sweet to subacid or acid, depending on the cultivar. Each fruit contains 5 ovules, of which anywhere from 1 to all of them mature into large brown seeds. The skin, though thin, can be peeled off manually if the fruit is ripe. The fruits are sweetest when soft and orange.

Toxicity
Like most related plants, the seeds and young leaves of the loquat contain a mild level of poisonous cyanogenic glycosides (including amygdalin), which release cyanide when digested, though the low concentration and bitter flavor usually prevents enough being consumed to cause harm.

Food
The loquat is low in saturated fat and sodium, and is high in vitamin A, fiber, potassium, and manganese.

The fruit of E. japonica can be easily compared with its distant relative, the apple (genus Malus) in many aspects, including its high sugar, acid, and pectin content. It is eaten fresh as a whole, or is sometimes mixed with other fruits in fruit salads or fruit cups. Firm, slightly immature fruits are used for making pies or tarts. The fruits are also commonly used to make jam, jelly, and chutney, and are often served poached in light syrup.

In Japan, it is sometimes eaten fresh or canned due to the sweet taste of its skin. However, the waste ratio of the loquat is atleast 30%, due to the size of the seed. Among other things, it is processed into jellies and jam.

Eaten in quantity, loquats have a slight, yet noticeable sedative effect, which stays in effect for up to 24 hours.

Alcoholic drinks
The loquat is sometimes fermented into a fruit wine, sometimes using just the crystal sugar and white liquor. Lemon or lemon zest is often added to the wine, due to the low acidity of the loquat. Aficionados also enjoy a sake made only from the seed, which has an aroma like an apricot kernel. Due to the presence of cyanogenic glycosides, enough consumption may cause cyanide poisoning.

Medicinal uses
Loquat syrup is used in Chinese medicine for soothing the throat like a cough drop would. The leaves, combined with other ingredients form a remedy, known as pipa gao (枇杷膏; literally "loquat paste"), which acts as a demulcent and expectorant, as well as soothing the digestive and respiratory systems.

Cultivation
The loquat is easy to grow in subtropical to mild temperate climates where it is usually grown for its ornamental value and its delicious fruit. The boldly textured foliage adds a tropical look to gardens, contrasting well with several other plants. There are many named cultivars.

One of the most commonly known cultivars of the loquat is the Coppertone Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica 'Coppertone' or Eriobotrya × Coppertone), which is a cross between the loquat and the Indian Hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica). It is a popular shrub in the southern United States.

Production
Japan is the leading producer of loquats, followed by China.

They are also grown in the Meditarranean Basin, in places like Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Israel, Jordan, Italy, Palestine, Slovenia, Albania, Lebanon, Malta, Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Portugal, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey, as well as in Armenia, Abkhazia, Australia, Bermuda, Mexico, Brazil, India, New Zealand, the United States (mainly in Florida and California), Pakistan, and South Africa.

History
The loquat is a fruit of Chinese origin. It was introduced to Japan and became naturalized there in early times, and has been cultivated there for more than 1,000 years. It has also become naturalized in India, the Meditarranean Basin, and several other locations. Immigrants from China presumably carried the loquat to Hawaii.

In ancient Chinese literature, the loquat was often mentioned, such as in the works of Li Bai. In Portuguese literature, it is mentioned before the Age of Discovery.

Etymology
The common 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, which literally means "reed orange"). In modern Chinese, the loquat is more commonly referred to as pipa (Chinese: 枇杷; pinyin: pípá) from the resemblance of the shape to the shape of the Chinese instrument, the pipa (琵琶). Likewise, in Japanese, it is referred to as the biwa, which is similarly named from the corresponding musical instrument, biwa. It is also known as the "Japanese medlar", a name used in many languages: nêspera or magnório (Portuguese), níspero (Spanish), lokaat (Hindi), japanska mušmula or nešpula (Croatian), naspli (Maltese), nespola (Italian), náspolya (Hungarian), nespra (Catalan), nèfle du Japon or bibasse (French), L'meshmash (Algerian), néspera (Galician). Other names include: שסק sheseq (Hebrew), إسكدنيا Iskidunya, إكيدنيا Ik(k)idunya, Aki Dini,Igadinya or Bashmala بشملة (Arabic), Akkadeneh or Akka Dhuniya (Lebanese), mushmula or Nor Ashkhar (Armenian), mushmala (Georgian), mushmolla verore (summer medlar) (Albanian), μούσμουλο/μούσμουλα moúsmoulo/moúsmoula (sg/pl) or mespilia (Greek),  Japanse (wol)mispel (Dutch), yeni dünya, muşmula or Malta Eriği (Turkish), mespila in Cyprus, mousmoula in Greece, despoles (δέσπολες) in Crete, Pibasy (Malagasy), мушмула (mušmulá) (Russian), and lukwart (Afrikaans). The Armenian name, Nor Ashkhar and the Turkish name, yeni dünya literally mean "new world". The everday Turkish name for the fruit, Malta eriği means "Maltese plum", possibly indicating confusion over the origin of the fruit.