Eriobotrya japonica

Family:ROSACEAE
Species:Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.
Common Name:Loquat
Habitat:Rare escapes from cultivation in ruderal areas, urban woodland margins, thickets, or persistent after cultivation. So far, only in southern part of state.
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:**
Plant Notes:Loquat is an introduced evergreen shrub or small tree in the Rose family (Rosaceae). It is native to east-central China, but is widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas for its fruit. In Alabama it is grown in the southern half of the state and can found persisting or rarely escaping on roadsides or in urban woodlands. It is a large shrub or small tree to 30 feet in height. Young stems are rusty pubescent. The bark on older stems and the trunk is smooth and gray-tan in color. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, lanceolate to elliptic in outline, thick and leathery in texture, with serrate margins. The leaves are dark green and leathery. The lower surface of the leaf is densely pubescent. Flowers are produced in terminal panicles. The branches of the panicles are densely pubescent. The fragrant flowers have an inferior ovary, 5 densely pubescent sepals, 5 white petals, and 20 stamens. The fruit is a pubescent yellowish-orange pome with 3-5 large shiny-black seed. Numerous varieties of Loquats are available from nurseries. They prefer a well-draining soil in full to partial sun. Loquat flowers in the fall and early winter and does best when planted in a sheltered spot such as near a near a south or west-facing wall. The fruit can be pealed and eaten raw or used for wines, pies, jams, and jellies.—A. Diamond.
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Native
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyROSACEAE - Rose family
Genus Eriobotrya
Species Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. - Loquat

Citation

Citation Eriobotrya japonica (Thunberg) Lindley, Trans. Linn. Soc. London 13(1): 102. 1821.
Basionym: Mespilus japonica Thunb. 1780.
Type: JAPAN: Without data, Thunberg s.n. (holotype: UPS-THUNB-11908).

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Crataegus bibas Crataegus bibas Loureiro, Fl. Cochinch. 319. 1790. Without data (lectotype: Plukenet, Amalth. Bot. t. 371(2). 1705). Lectotypified by B. B. Liu et al., Phytokeys 154: 26. 2020.
Mespilus japonica Mespilus japonica Thunb., Nova Acta Regiae Soc. Sci. Upsal., ser. 2, 3: 208. 1780. JAPAN: Without data, Thunberg s.n. (holotype: UPS-THUNB-11908).
Photinia japonica Photinia japonica (Thunb.) Benth. & Hook. f. ex Asch. & Schweinf., Ill. Fl. Égypte 73. 1887.Mespilus japonica Thunb. 1780. 
Pyrus bibas Pyrus bibas (Loureiro) M. F. Fay & Christenhusz, in Christenhusz et al., Global Fl. 4: 98. 2018.Crataegus bibas Loureiro 1790. 
Rhaphiolepis bibas Rhaphiolepis bibas (Loureiro) Galasso & Banfi, Ital. Botanist 9: 66. 2020.Crataegus bibas Loureiro 1790. 

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Baldwin, Mobile

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 2022 - 2022

Barcode / Accession No. County Coll. Date Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
Image
UWAL0044392 Baldwin 11 Mar 2011 Larsen, Harry S.
1728
UWAL
Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.
UWAL0057478 Mobile 17 Sep 2022 Horne, Howard H.
5077
UWAL
Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.
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