This family is characterised by fleshy fruits, with skin and "calyx" (shriveled remains of the sepals, style and stamens), containing pips (which are seeds).
Etymology: "quince tree" comes from the name of the Greek city Chania; its Latin name Cydonia oblonga comes from Cydon, city of Crete . Origin: Middle East. Habitat: the Quince tree does not tolerate limestones. Hardiness: zone 6 (it supports cold until -23 °C or -9 °F). Height: 6 m tall.
Deciduous foliage : leaves entire, oval, of 10 cm long, smooth margin, tomentose underside. Flowers: in 5 petals insulated, turn to purple, in May. Fruits: pome fruit (quince) very hard, 10 cm long, oblong (or pear shape), bumpy skin with yellow flesh fluffy and yellow, ripe in the fall.
Use: the quince is astringent, edible in jelly or in fruit paste. The Quince tree is often used as rootstock of the Pear tree.
Other species: the quince tree of China, Chaenomeles sinensis, has smaller leaves, provided with stipules. The fruit is also smaller. It is a decorative shrub:
){kind=link}