In message , Sacha
writes
On 1/12/07 20:01, in article , "bof"
wrote:

In message , Sacha
writes
Over on uk.rec.gardening, we're trying to identify this mysterious fruit
which we were given a couple of days ago. It is growing on a bush in a
garden near Bristol:

They smell very faintly citrusy to me and each seed chamber has two seeds in
each side. She's not a gardener so can only tell me that the leaves are
leaf shaped, not huge, not leathery and that the fruits are autumnal.
http://i16.tinypic.com/7x8rupj.jpg

Here's another pic of it cut across the fruit. You can see the indentations
of the ridges clearly. As I say, it's about the size of a chestnut and a
little reminiscent of one when peeled and cooked.
http://i4.tinypic.com/7yofkfd.jpg

It looks very quince like, and it's the right time of year for a bush
full of yellow fruit. The major difference to the quince here is the
regular deep grooving of the outside. Is the bush spiky? Is the skin
waxy? does it smell 'perfumed'?

I think we've pretty much done the 'is it quince' (Chaenomeles or Cydonia)
on urg and if it is, nobody can get to it. As you so rightly say, it's the
grooving that stumps everyone. My friend describes it as looking exactly
like a small (chestnut sized) pumpkin. One person has said it seems more
likely to be of the Pomoceae family because of the seed arrangement. I'm
totally stumped by it but so, it seems, is everyone else. To us, it has a
faint citrus smell so one sort of contradicts the other. It's peculiar
because while fresh it smells more citrus-y but as it shrivels and dries out
it's beginning to smell like apples going off!

All that sounds like the bush I have that was identified as a
Japonica/Japanese quince by a knowledgeable source. Having just braved
the wind and rain here's what the fruit off mine looks like:

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h222/bofphoto/00f1c46a.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h222/bofphoto/108fc07f.jpg

not such regular pronounced ridging but it's definitely there.

Makes fantastic aromatic jelly (after a lot of effort) and has a
wonderful display of strong pink blossom in the spring and the beautiful
bright yellow fruit in the autumn. But also has lethal thorns that leave
me covered in cuts and scratches after a pruning session.

FYI it roots really easily from woody cuttings and the seeds seems to
sprout readily if the fruit is just left on the ground over winter.

It's my favourite plant in the garden, I inherited it as a largish bush
when I bought a house and take a cutting with me when I move.

(x-post added to urg)


--
bof at bof dot me dot uk