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 - Chaenomeles japonica
 
Chaenomeles japonica — Japanese flowering-quince
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Facts
Japanese flowering-quince is introduced in New England from Japan. This medium-sized shrub produces bright red flowers in summer, and edible, orange fruits in October. This plant prefers full sun, but can easily tolerate a range of dry soils.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats)
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
 - terrestrial
 
- New England state
 - Vermont
 
- Growth form
 - the plant is a shrub (a woody plant with several stems growing from the base)
 
- Leaf type
 - the leaf blade is simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
 
- Leaves per node
 - there is one leaf per node along the stem
 
- Leaf blade edges
 - the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
 
- Leaf duration
 - 
                                
                                    
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
 - the leaves remain green all winter
 
 
- armature on plant
 - the plant has spines, prickles, or thorns
 
- Leaf blade length
 - 30–50 mm
 
- Leaf stalk
 - the leaves have leaf stalks
 
- Fruit type (general)
 - the fruit is fleshy
 
- Bark texture
 - the bark of an adult plant is thin and smooth
 
- Twig winter color
 - 
                                
                                    
- black
 - brown
 
 
- Bud scale number
 - there are two scales on the winter bud, and their edges meet
 
- 
                        
Buds or leaf scars
- Bud scale number
 - there are two scales on the winter bud, and their edges meet
 
- Bud scar shape (Fraxinus)
 - NA
 
- Collateral buds
 - there are no collateral buds on the sides of the branches
 
- Superposed buds
 - there are no superposed buds on the branch
 
 - 
                        
Flowers
- Carpels fused
 - the carpels are fused to one another
 
- Enlarged sterile flowers
 - there are no enlarged sterile flowers on the plant
 
- Flower petal color
 - red
 
- Flower symmetry
 - there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
 
- Hairs on ovary (Amelanchier)
 - NA
 
- Hypanthium present
 - the flower has a hypanthium
 
- Inflorescence type
 - 
                                
                                    
- the inflorescence has only one flower on it
 - the inflorescence is a fascicle (compact cluster of flowers)
 
 
- Number of pistils
 - 1
 
- Ovary position
 - 
                                
                                    
- the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
 - the ovary is below the point of petal and/or sepal attachment
 
 
- Petal and sepal arrangement
 - the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures
 
- Petal appearance
 - the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)
 
- Petal fusion
 - the perianth parts are separate
 
- Sepal cilia (Ilex)
 - NA
 
- Stamen number
 - 13 or more
 
 - 
                        
Fruits or seeds
- Berry color
 - yellow
 
- Fruit type (general)
 - the fruit is fleshy
 
- Fruit type (specific)
 - the fruit is a berry (fleshy, with the wall enclosing one or more sections, with two or more seeds)
 
- Nut with spines (Fagaceae)
 - NA
 
 - 
                        
Glands or sap
- Sap color
 - the sap is clear and watery
 
- Stalked glands on fruit (Rosa)
 - NA
 
 - 
                        
Growth form
- Growth form
 - the plant is a shrub (a woody plant with several stems growing from the base)
 
 - 
                        
Leaves
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
 - the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
 
- Leaf blade base shape
 - the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
 
- Leaf blade edges
 - the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
 
- Leaf blade edges (Acer)
 - NA
 
- Leaf blade hairs
 - NA
 
- Leaf blade length
 - 30–50 mm
 
- Leaf blade shape
 - the leaf blade is obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
 
- Leaf blade translucent dots
 - there are no translucent dots on the leaf blade
 
- Leaf duration
 - 
                                
                                    
- the leaves drop off in winter (or they wither but persist on the plant)
 - the leaves remain green all winter
 
 
- Leaf lobe tips (Quercus)
 - NA
 
- Leaf stalk
 - the leaves have leaf stalks
 
- Leaf stalk nectaries
 - there are no nectaries on the leaf stalk
 
- Leaf teeth
 - the leaf blade margin is crenate (with rounded teeth) or crenulate (with tiny, rounded teeth)
 
- Leaf teeth hairs (Carya)
 - NA
 
- Leaf type
 - the leaf blade is simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
 
- Leaves per node
 - there is one leaf per node along the stem
 
- Specific leaf type
 - the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
 
 - 
                        
Place
- Habitat
 - terrestrial
 
- New England state
 - Vermont
 
- Specific habitat
 - man-made or disturbed habitats
 
 - 
                        
Stem, shoot, branch
- Aerial roots
 - the plant has no aerial roots
 
- Bark texture
 - the bark of an adult plant is thin and smooth
 
- Branch brittleness (willows only)
 - NA
 
- Branch cross-section
 - the branch is circular in cross-section, or it has five or more sides, so that there are no sharp angles
 
- First-year cane (Rubus)
 - NA
 
- Twig papillae (Vaccinium species only)
 - NA
 
- Twig winter color
 - 
                                
                                    
- black
 - brown
 
 
- Wings on branch
 - the branch does not have wings on it
 
- armature on plant
 - the plant has spines, prickles, or thorns
 
 
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
 - absent
 
- Maine
 - absent
 
- Massachusetts
 - absent
 
- New Hampshire
 - absent
 
- Rhode Island
 - absent
 
- Vermont
 - present
 
Conservation status
None
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Chaenomeles japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. ex Spach E
Japanese flowering-quince. Cydonia japonica (Thunb.) Pers.; Pyrus japonica Thunb. • VT; also reported from CT by Magee and Ahles (1999), but specimens are unknown. Railroads, ditches, roadsides.
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
Synonyms
- Cydonia japonica (Thunb.) Pers.
 - Pyrus japonica Thunb.