木瓜 mu gua

Cydonia sinensis Thouin, Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. 19: 145. 1812; Pseudocydonia sinensis (Thouin) C. K. Schneider; Pyrus cathayensis Hemsley; P. chinensis Sprengel; P. sinensis (Thouin) Poiret.

Shrubs or small trees, to 5–10 m. Branchlets purplish red, terete, unarmed, initially pubescent, soon glabrate, with pale lenticels; buds purplish brown, glabrous, apex obtuse. Stipules ovate-oblong, rhomboidal, or lanceolate, 5–12 mm, herbaceous, subglabrous, margin glandular serrate, apex acute; petiole 5–10 mm, pubescent, glandular serrate; leaf blade elliptic-ovate or elliptic-oblong, rarely obovate, 5–8 × 3.5–5.5 cm, abaxially yellowish white tomentose when young, soon glabrescent, base broadly cuneate or rounded, margin aristate and sharply serrate (teeth glandular at apices), apex acute. Pedicel short, 5–10 mm, glabrous. Flowers solitary, 2.5–3 cm in diam. Hypanthium campanulate, abaxially glabrous. Sepals reflexed; triangular-lanceolate, 6–10 mm, abaxially glabrous, adaxially brown tomentose, apex acute or acuminate. Petals pinkish, obovate, base shortly clawed, apex rounded. Stamens numerous, ca. 1/2 as long as petals. Styles 3–5, ca. as long as stamens, connate at base. Pome fragrant, dark yellow, narrowly ellipsoid, 10–15 cm, woody; sepals caducous; fruiting pedicel short. Fl. Apr, fr. Sep–Oct.

About 1000 m. Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Zhejiang.