Flora of New Zealand Series

loquat

Tree up to 8 m high when mature; trunk well developed; primary stems erect; secondary stems spreading; young stems stout, white-tomentose; older stems with prominent lf scars, becoming greyish brown and transversely calloused. Lvs near branch tips; petiole c. 15 mm long, stout; blade oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 150-350-(400) × 75-100-(130) mm, acute, tapering to cuneate or slightly auriculate base, very coriaceous, ± rugose, dark green and glossy above, thinly grey- or brown-tomentose below (very young lvs completely brown-tomentose), serrate at least in upper 1/2 (sometimes obscurely); stipules long-triangular, ± attenuate, pilose. Infl. of many fls; pedicels 5-8 mm long, brownish tomentose. Sepals fused for most of length; lobes 2-4 mm long, brown-tomentose. Petals white or ivory, oblong, c. 7-8 × 3-4 mm, shallowly emarginate. Fr. pyriform to broadly ellipsoid-oblong or subglobose, up to 50 × 35 mm; skin yellow, ± tomentose; flesh sweet.

N.: Bay of Islands, Rangitoto Id, Auckland, Opotiki, and near Gisborne.

China, Japan 1982

Hillsides, scrub, plantations, wasteland near sites of cultivation.

FL Apr-Aug-(Nov) FT Oct-Dec.

E. japonica (Fig. 99) is widely grown in warm temperate countries for its attractive appearance and edible fr. and is very common N. of the Volcanic Plateau in N.Z. On a hillside behind Paihia (Bay of Islands), a large wild population occurs with frs ranging from pyriform to subglobose.