Account of the Lo-quat. 



In its native state it is a tree of some magnitude, and of 

 great beauty, having thick branches, bearing very hand- 

 some, long, and large evergreen leaves, bright and shining 

 above, and covered with slight down on the under surface ; 

 the inflorescence is produced in the latter end of the year, 

 from the end of the branches, in large compound spikes ; 

 the flowers are closely placed on the spikes, and have a 

 delicate agreeable scent, resembling that of the Hawthorn 

 flower ; the petals are similar, also, to that flower, but larger, 

 and perfectly white ; the calyx and peduncles are covered 

 with rust-coloured down; the whole spike has a very 

 handsome appearance, The fruit ripens early in the 

 succeeding spring, and is described by Thunberg, as of the 

 size of a Cherry, with a sweet and acid flavour, somewhat 

 resembling an Apple ; ILempfer calls it vinous. 



A plain engraving, published by Sir Joseph Banks, in 

 1791, from a sketch by ILempfer* preserved in the British 

 Museum, gives a representation of both the flowers and the 

 fruit ; of the latter eleven are figured on the spike, rather 

 larger than ordinary Cherries, and not quite round. The 

 section of a fruit, which is also given, shews five full grown 

 seeds, but in this circumstance there is great variation, for 

 K;empfer states, that each fruit contains three, four, five, 

 or more seeds ; and Thunberg mentions that the number 

 of the seeds is from one to five. 



The Lo-quat has been variously cultivated with us, some- 

 times as a stove plant, sometimes as belonging to the conser- 

 vatory, and it has also been exposed in the open air during 

 the winter. A very fine plant stood for several years against 



* Banks, Icon. Kaempfer. tab. 18. 



