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Quince

Quince
Pancrace Bessa00.jpg
Cydonia oblonga fruit and tree
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Subfamily: Amygdaloideae
Tribe: Maleae
Subtribe: Malinae
Genus: Cydonia
Mill.
Species: C. oblonga
Binomial name
Cydonia oblonga
Mill.
Synonyms

C. vulgaris

Quinces, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 238 kJ (57 kcal)
15.3 g
Dietary fiber 1.9 g
0.1 g
0.4 g
Vitamins
Thiamine (B1)
(2%)
0.02 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
(3%)
0.03 mg
Niacin (B3)
(1%)
0.2 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
(2%)
0.081 mg
Vitamin B6
(3%)
0.04 mg
Folate (B9)
(1%)
3 μg
Vitamin C
(18%)
15 mg
Minerals
Calcium
(1%)
11 mg
Iron
(5%)
0.7 mg
Magnesium
(2%)
8 mg
Phosphorus
(2%)
17 mg
Potassium
(4%)
197 mg
Sodium
(0%)
4 mg
Zinc
(0%)
0.04 mg

Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database

C. vulgaris

The quince (/ˈkwɪns/; Cydonia oblonga) is the sole member of the genus Cydonia in the family Rosaceae (which also contains apples and pears, among other fruits). It is a small deciduous tree that bears a pome fruit, similar in appearance to a pear, and bright golden-yellow when mature. Throughout history the cooked fruit has been used as food, but the tree is also grown for its attractive pale pink blossoms and other ornamental qualities.

The tree grows 5 to 8 metres (16 to 26 ft) high and 4 to 6 metres (13 to 20 ft) wide. The fruit is 7 to 12 centimetres (2.8 to 4.7 in) long and 6 to 9 centimetres (2.4 to 3.5 in) across.

The immature fruit is green with dense grey-white , most of which rubs off before maturity in late autumn when the fruit changes color to yellow with hard, strongly perfumed flesh. The leaves are alternately arranged, simple, 6–11 cm (2–4 in) long, with an entire margin and densely pubescent with fine white hairs. The flowers, produced in spring after the leaves, are white or pink, 5 cm (2 in) across, with five petals.

The seeds contain nitriles, which are common in seeds of the rose family. In the stomach, enzymes or stomach acid or both cause some of the nitriles to be hydrolyzed and produce hydrogen cyanide, which is a volatile gas. The seeds are only likely to be toxic if a large quantity is eaten.

Four other species previously included in the genus Cydonia are now treated in separate genera. These are Pseudocydonia sinensis and the three flowering quinces of eastern Asia in the genus Chaenomeles. Another unrelated fruit, the bael, is sometimes called the "Bengal quince".


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Wikipedia

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