Loquat
| Loquat | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Loquat leaves and fruits | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Eriobotrya |
| Species: | E. japonica |
| Binomial name | |
|
Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
|
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 197 kJ (47 kcal) |
|
12.14 g
|
|
| Dietary fiber | 1.7 g |
|
0.2 g
|
|
|
0.43 g
|
|
| Vitamins | |
| Vitamin A equiv. |
(10%)
76 μg |
| Thiamine (B1) |
(2%)
0.019 mg |
| Riboflavin (B2) |
(2%)
0.024 mg |
| Niacin (B3) |
(1%)
0.18 mg |
| Vitamin B6 |
(8%)
0.1 mg |
| Folate (B9) |
(4%)
14 μg |
| Vitamin C |
(1%)
1 mg |
| Minerals | |
| Calcium |
(2%)
16 mg |
| Iron |
(2%)
0.28 mg |
| Magnesium |
(4%)
13 mg |
| Manganese |
(7%)
0.148 mg |
| Phosphorus |
(4%)
27 mg |
| Potassium |
(6%)
266 mg |
| Sodium |
(0%)
1 mg |
| Zinc |
(1%)
0.05 mg |
|
|
|
|
|
| Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database |
|
The loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) （Chinese:枇杷; pinyin: pi pa) is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, a native to the cooler hill regions of China to south-central China. It is also quite common in Japan, Korea, and some can be found in some Northern part of the Philippines.
It is a large evergreen shrub or tree, grown commercially for its yellow fruit, and also cultivated as an ornamental plant.
Eriobotrya japonica was formerly thought to be closely related to the genus Mespilus, and is still sometimes known as the Japanese medlar. It is also known as Japanese plum and Chinese plum, also known as pipa in China.
Eriobotrya japonica is a large evergreen shrub or small tree, with a rounded crown, short trunk and woolly new twigs. The tree can grow to 5–10 metres (16–33 ft) tall, but is often smaller, about 3–4 metres (10–13 ft). The leaves are alternate, simple, 10–25 centimetres (4–10 in) 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.
Loquats are unusual among fruit trees in that the flowers appear in the autumn or early winter, and the fruits are ripe at any time from early spring to early summer. The flowers are 2 cm (1 in) in 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.
Loquat fruits, growing in clusters, are oval, rounded or pear-shaped, 3–5 centimetres (1–2 in) 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 from one to ten ovules, with three to five being most common. A variable number of the ovules mature into large brown seeds. The skin, though thin, can be peeled off manually if the fruit is ripe. In Egypt varieties with sweeter fruits and fewer seeds are often grafted on inferior quality specimens.
...
Wikipedia