quince
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Related to quince: quince jelly
quince,
shrub or small tree of the Asian genera Chaenomeles and Cydonia of the family Rosaceae (roserose,common name for some members of the Rosaceae, a large family of herbs, shrubs, and trees distributed over most of the earth, and for plants of the genus Rosa, the true roses.
..... Click the link for more information. family). The common quince (Cydonia oblonga) is a spineless tree with edible fruits cultivated from ancient times in Asia and in the Mediterranean area, where it was early naturalized. Its pome fruit is similar to that of the related apple and pear but is very astringent, and hence it is used chiefly cooked in preserves; marmalademarmalade
[Port.,=quince preparation], thick preserve of fruit pulp, originally made from quinces (marmelos) and known in England from the 15th cent. Marmalade has a jellylike consistency and a slightly bitter flavor, caused by including the rind of some tart fruit such
..... Click the link for more information. is said to have first been made from quince. As a commercial fruit tree, the quince is cultivated more widely in the temperate zone of Europe than in the United States, where it is grown chiefly in California and New York. It is often used as a rootstock for dwarf fruit trees, especially the pear. The flowering quinces (genus Chaenomeles) are cultivated as ornamental shrubs for their profuse, usually thorny branches and attractive scarlet, pink, or white flowers. The fruit is too small and hard to be of commercial value but is sometimes used locally. Best known of this genus is C. lagenaria, the Japanese quince, or japonica. Some other Asian shrubs (e.g., a camellia) are also called japonica. Quince is classified in the division MagnoliophytaMagnoliophyta
, division of the plant kingdom consisting of those organisms commonly called the flowering plants, or angiosperms. The angiosperms have leaves, stems, and roots, and vascular, or conducting, tissue (xylem and phloem).
..... Click the link for more information. , class Magnoliopsida, order Rosales, family Rosaceae.
quince
[kwins] (botany)
Cydonia oblonga. A deciduous tree of the order Rosales characterized by crooked branching, leaves that are densely hairy on the underside and solitary white or pale-pink flowers; fruit is an edible pear- or apple-shaped tomentose pome.
quince
in portraits, traditionally held by woman in wedding. [Art: Hall, 257]
See: Marriage
quince
symbol of temptation [Flower Symbolism: Flora Symbolica, 176]
See: Temptation
quince
1. a small widely cultivated Asian rosaceous tree, Cydonia oblonga, with pinkish-white flowers and edible pear-shaped fruits
2. the acid-tasting fruit of this tree, much used in preserves
3. Japanese or flowering quince another name for japonica