Fruit trees we are looking for
Loquat
Eriobotrya japonica
Kingdom: Plantae
Rosaceae family
Binomial name: Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl., 1821
The loquat tree, Chinese 枇杷, pinyin: pípá, via the Portuguese bibas, (Eriobotrya japonica) is a fruit tree of the family Rosaceae (tribe of Maleae), grown in warm regions (hardiness USDA 8 to 112) for its edible fruit, the loquat or loquat, for its leaf used in herbal tea, or as an ornamental plant.
It should not be confused with the common medlar (Mespilus germanica) which prefers cold climates. (USDA hardiness 5 to 83).
In French, the spellings "bibacier" or "bibassier" (masculine name) to designate the plant, "loquat" or "bibasse" (feminine name) to designate the fruit are allowed.
Description:
Flowers.
The size is variable according to the cultivars (dwarf forms with trees of 12 m), with erected port. The young twigs and buds are cottony (eriobotrya means "bunch of wool" in Greek).
The roots are slender, not invasive, the tree can be planted near a building, however it fears strong winds, and we must avoid working the soil at the foot of the tree. A mulch is favorable.
Leaves simple, alternate, persistent are large, up to 25 cm long and strongly ribbed. They are quite tough and have the edge of the toothed limb. Their upper surface is dark green, shiny, while their lower face is tomentose and russet.
The white flowers are united in thyrses. Very unusual among fruit trees, flowers bloom in autumn or early winter and fruits reach maturity in late winter or early spring. Flowering occurs only if the temperatures are mild in late autumn, the flower freezes at -5 ° C5.
Ovoid fruits, yellow-orange or ivory, are berries with orange or yellowish-white flesh, tart, very juicy. The pips, dark brown, are of variable size, the seedlings have little pulp, the best fruit selections have medium to small pips.
Use :
There are many uses, even cosmetic products19.
Food:
The fruits (loquat of Japan) are consumed fresh, raw or cooked, one makes drinks (syrup, wine, liquor).
Leaves or flowers: Larger leaves are used to make the commonly drunk horse tea in China and Japan 20,21. In traditional Chinese medicine they are used as a poultice. Dried flowers are also used in herbal tea.
The leaves, the flowers, the nuclei, are used as a dietary supplement especially for their content in tri terpenoids (ursolitic acid, tormentic, eucalyptic, etc.) with a long procession of indications rarely demonstrated in humans.
Horticultural:
The maggot can be used as rootstock for the pear tree. It will give a pear medium vigor, usable for trellised forms, fruit set quite slow.
Ornamental tree: they are decorative plants by their persistent foliage, rust color under the leaves. In shaded conditions the leaves are larger than in the sun4. The inflorescences, melliferous, fragrant, in the form of drooping clusters give it a very exotic appearance.