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Docynia indica

Common name:		Family:	Rosaceae
Author:	(Wallich.)Decne.	Botanical references:	11, 200, 266
Synonyms:	Pyrus rufifolia (Lé vl.), Malus docynioides (Schneid.), Docynia rufifolia ((Lé vl.)Rehder.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - China to the Himalayas.
Habitat:	Open places to elevations of 2000 metres in Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan[146, 272]. Slopes, streamsides and thickets at elevations of 2000--3000 metres in western China[266].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	D. docynioides[G] Pyrus indica[G] Pyrus lobata[G]
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	indica = Indian
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Rosales. Rose family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen tree growing to 4m. It is hardy to zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from September to November. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Secondary, Sunny Edge.

Edible Uses

Fruit.

Fruit[1, 146, 272]. The fully ripe fruit is edible[272]. It is eaten when half ripe[177]. The fruit is about 5cm in diameter[200].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Wood.

Wood - hard, close and even grained[146].

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained soil in a sunny position[200].
This species is only hardy in the milder areas of Britain, tolerating temperatures down to about -5 to -10° c[11, 200].
There is some doubt as to whether this species is distinct from D. delavayi[11].
This genus is closely related to the quince, Cydonia oblonga[200].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame[200]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[146] Gamble. J. S. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1972
Written last century, but still a classic, giving a lot of information on the uses and habitats of Indian trees. Not for the casual reader.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Docynia+indica
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Docynia+indica

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