Chaenomeles speciosa

Not to be confused with Carica papaya, papaya, which, like Chaenomeles speciosa, is sometimes called mugua.

Not to be confused with Pseudocydonia sinensis, which, like C. speciosa, is sometimes called mugua and Chinese quince.

Chaenomeles speciosa
Flowers of C. speciosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Chaenomeles
Species:	C. speciosa
Binomial name
Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nak.
Synonyms
Chaenomeles lagenaria (Loisel.) Koidz. Cydonia lagenaria Loisel. Cydonia speciosa Sweet Pyrus japonica Sims. non Thunb.

Chaenomeles speciosa (commonly known as flowering quince, Chinese quince, or Japanese quince, or as zhou pi mugua in traditional Chinese medicine) is a thorny deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub native to eastern Asia. It is taller than another commonly cultivated species, C. japonica, usually growing to about 2 m (6 ft 7 in). The flowers are usually red, but may be white or pink, and the fruit is a fragrant but hard pome that resembles a quince.

Cultivation

This plant is widely cultivated in temperate regions for its twining habit and its showy flowers which appear early in the season - occasionally even in midwinter. It is frequently used as an informal low hedge. Numerous cultivars with flowers in shades of white, pink and red have been selected. The following cultivars and hybrids have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-

'Geisha Girl' 'Moorloosei' 'Crimson and Gold'

'Knap Hill Scarlet' 'Nicoline' 'Pink Lady'

Ethnomedical uses

The fruit has been part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for thousands of years, used to treat arthritis, leg edema, and cramping in the calf muscle.

Pharmacology

A constituent of its extract has been found to be an effective and selective dopamine reuptake inhibitor (DRI).

See also

• Pseudocydonia (Chaenomeles sinensis), also called mugua and "Chinese quince," and also extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine
• Papaya, a tropical fruit that shares the name mugua
• Scutellaria baicalensis, Huáng qín (Chinese: 黄芩) another traditional Chinese herb that also contains a dopamine reuptake inhibitor

References and external links

• article Effects and mechanisms of glucosides of chaenomeles speciosa on collagen-induced arthritis in rats
• Information from USDA PLANTS
• Information from Plants for a Future
• Information from Chinese Medicine Basics
• article Glucosides of Chaenomeles speciosa remit rat adjuvant arthritis by inhibiting synoviocyte activities