Difference between revisions of "Myrica rubra"

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'''''Myrica rubra''''', also called '''yangmei''' ({{zh|s={{linktext|杨梅}}|p=yángméi}}; Cantonese: yeung4 mui4; [[Shanghainese]]: {{IPA-wuu|jɑ̃.mɛ|}}{{fix|date=May 2012|text=tones?}}), {{nihongo|'''yamamomo'''|{{linktext|ヤマモモ}}||"mountain peach"|lead=yes}}, '''Chinese bayberry''', '''Japanese bayberry''', '''red bayberry''', '''yumberry''', '''waxberry''', or '''Chinese strawberry''' (and often mistranslated from Chinese as '''[[arbutus]]''') is a subtropical [[tree]] grown for its sweet, crimson to dark purple-red, [[fruit]].
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Keenan has eaten sugared, dried '''yángméi''' (Chinese bayberry) sold as "dried plum". The flavor is good and interesting, reminiscent of [[ume]] with that funky sourness, but mostly it tastes like delicious sweet fruit candy. Still need to try the fresh fruit.
  
==Description==
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[[Category:Myricaceae]]
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2009}}
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[[Category:Plants Keenan has eaten]]
It is a small to medium-sized [[evergreen]] tree growing up to {{Convert|10|-|20|m|ft|abbr=on}} high, with smooth gray bark and a uniform spherical to hemispherical crown. It is [[dioecious]], with separate male and female plants. It tolerates poor [[acid]]ic [[soil]]s. The [[root]] system is {{Convert|5|–|60|cm|in|abbr=on}} deep, with no obvious [[taproot]].
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[[Category:Plants with other parts for Keenan to eat]]
 
 
The fruit is spherical, {{Convert|1.5|-|2.5|cm|in|abbr=on}} in diameter, with a knobby surface. The surface color is typically a deep, brilliant red, but may vary from white to purple. The flesh color is similar to surface color, or somewhat lighter. The flesh is sweet and very tart. At the center is a single seed, with a diameter about half that of the whole fruit.
 
<gallery>
 
Myrica rubra4.jpg|Flowers
 
Morella rubra - Leping, Jiangxi, China 2014.06.15 11-43-07.jpg|Fruit
 
Myrica rubra1.jpg|Leaves
 
Myrica rubra2.jpg|Tree
 
</gallery>
 
 
 
==Taxonomy==
 
Also called ''Morella rubra'' Lour.; ''Myrica rubra'' var. ''acuminata'' Nakai.  It is usually cited as ''Myrica rubra'' (Lour.) Siebold & Zuccarini. However, in their publication of 1846, Siebold & Zuccarini provided a description only, with no reference, direct or indirect, to ''Morella rubra'' Lour. (1790). Therefore, the name ''Myrica rubra'' Siebold & Zuccarini must be treated as new, preventing the combination in ''Myrica'' of [[João de Loureiro|Loureiro’s]] earlier name.<ref name="eFloras">{{cite web |url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200006094 |work=Flora of China |title=''Myrica rubra'' |accessdate=June 2, 2010}}</ref>
 
 
 
== Distribution and habitat ==
 
It is native to eastern [[Asia]], mainly in south-central [[China]] where it has been grown for at least 2000 years.<ref>{{cite journal|pmid=23605674|year=2013|author1=Sun|first1=C|title=Biological activities of extracts from Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. Et Zucc.): A review|journal=Plant Foods for Human Nutrition|volume=68|issue=2|pages=97–106|last2=Huang|first2=H|last3=Xu|first3=C|last4=Li|first4=X|last5=Chen|first5=K|doi=10.1007/s11130-013-0349-x}}</ref> Chinese cultivation is concentrated south of the [[Yangtze River]], where it has considerable economic importance. Its niche is forests on mountain slopes and valleys at altitudes of {{Convert|100–1500|m|ft}}.<ref name="eFloras"/>
 
<!-- == Ecology == -->
 
 
 
==Cultivation==
 
Yangmei trees are prolific producers, with a single tree yielding some 100 [[kilograms]] of fruit.<ref name="joyce">{{cite book |first=Daryl |last=Joyce |author2=Tahir Khurshid |author3=Shiming Liu |author4=Graeme McGregor |author5=Jianrong Li |author6=Yeuming Jiang |date=December 2005 |title=Red bayberry – a new and exciting crop for Australia? |url=http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=515.0 |publisher=[[Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation]] |location=[[Barton, Australian Capital Territory]] |isbn=978-1-74151-144-4 |oclc=223913003 |accessdate=23 June 2009}}</ref> As of 2007, 865,000 [[acres]] were devoted to yangmei production in [[China]]--double the amount of acres utilized in [[apple]] production in the [[United States]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Karp |first1=David |title=From China, Only in a Bottle, a Berry With an Alluring Name |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/12/dining/12yumb.html|date=12 December 2007 |accessdate=14 September 2018 |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>
 
 
 
==Uses==
 
 
 
The tree is used as [[ornamental tree|ornament]]s for parks and streets. It is also a traditional tree used in composing [[Chinese garden|classical East Asian gardens]].
 
 
 
===Products===
 
Some [[cultivar]]s with large fruit, up to 4&nbsp;cm in diameter, have been developed. Besides fresh consumption, the fruits may be dried, canned, soaked in ''[[baijiu]]'' (Chinese liquor), or fermented into [[alcoholic beverage]]s. Dried fruits are often prepared in the manner of dry ''huamei'' (''[[Prunus mume]]'' with flavorings such as [[licorice]] or [[salty licorice]]). The juice has been commercialised under the brand name "Yumberry" under which name it is trade-marked in the EU. In [[Yunnan Province]] in China, there are two main types of yangmei, a sour type used for making dried fruit and a sweet type used for juice and fresh eating.
 
 
 
Other uses include
 
* bottled [[pasteurize]]d [[juice]] or juice blends
 
* [[dye]] prepared from the bark
 
* [[yogurt]] flavoring
 
* blended [[jam]] and [[preserves]]
 
 
 
===Research and phytochemicals===
 
Various species of Myrica have been studied scientifically for [[horticultural]] characteristics or [[phytochemicals]] implicated with health benefits. Dating to 1951, the horticultural literature  includes studies on
 
* [[nitrogen]]-fixing ability of the [[root nodule]]s system<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Vandenbosch KA, Torrey JG |title=Consequences of Sporangial Development for Nodule Function in Root Nodules of Comptonia peregrina and Myrica gale |journal=[[Plant Physiology (journal)|Plant Physiology]] |volume=76 |issue=3 |pages=556–560 |date=November 1984 |pmid=16663881 |pmc=1064330 |doi=10.1104/pp.76.3.556}}</ref>
 
* presence of ''[[Frankia]]'' [[bacteria]] having nitrogen-fixing properties in root nodules<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Huguet V, Batzli JM, Zimpfer JF, Normand P, Dawson JO, Fernandez MP |title=Diversity and Specificity of Frankia Strains in Nodules of Sympatric Myrica gale, Alnus incana, and Shepherdia canadensis Determined by rrs Gene Polymorphism |journal=Applied and Environmental Microbiology |volume=67 |issue=5 |pages=2116–2122 |date=May 2001 |pmid=11319089 |pmc=92844 |doi=10.1128/AEM.67.5.2116-2122.2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Huguet V, Mergeay M, Cervantes E, Fernandez MP |title=Diversity of ''Frankia'' strains associated to ''Myrica gale'' in Western Europe: impact of host plant (''Myrica'' vs. ''Alnus'') and of edaphic factors |journal=Environmental Microbiology|volume=6 |issue=10 |pages=1032–1041 |date=October 2004 |pmid=15344928 |doi=10.1111/j.1462-2920.2004.00625.x}}</ref>
 
* [[microbial]] characteristics of the [[canopy (forest)|subcanopy]] soil<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Pozuelo González JM, Gutiérrez Mañero FJ, Llinares Pinel F, Bermúdez de Castro F |title=[Density and activity of microorganisms of the carbon cycle under the canopy of ''Myrica gale'' L.] |language=Spanish|journal=Microbiología |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=32–38 |date=April 1992 |pmid=1605919}}</ref>
 
* niche characteristics in the [[forest]] environment<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Su Z, Wu D, Chen B |title=[Niche characteristics of dominant populations in natural forest in north Guangdong] |language=Chinese |journal=Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao: Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology |volume=14 |issue=1 |pages=25–29 |date=January 2003 |pmid=12722433}}</ref>
 
* growth of [[pollen]] tubes<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Sogo A, Tobe H |title=Mode of Pollen-Tube Growth in Pistils of Myrica rubra (Myricaceae): A Comparison with Related Families |journal=[[Annals of Botany]] |volume=97 |issue=1 |pages=71–77 |date=January 2006 |pmid=16291781 |doi=10.1093/aob/mcj015 |pmc=2803377}}</ref>
 
 
 
The scientific literature is diverse, with studies of [[phytochemical]]s from [[Bark (botany)|bark]], [[leaves]] and fruit. Studies are conducted on [[polyphenol]]s, particularly [[ellagic acid]], [[prodelphinidin]]-type tannins,<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Cheng HY, Lin TC, Ishimaru K, Yang CM, Wang KC, Lin CC |title=In vitro antiviral activity of prodelphinidin B-2 3,3'-di-O-gallate from ''Myrica rubra'' |journal=Planta Med. |volume=69 |issue=10 |pages=953–6 |date=October 2003 |pmid=14648402 |doi=10.1055/s-2003-45108 |url=http://www.thieme-connect.com/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-2003-45108}}</ref> and [[anthocyanin]]s, and their possible biological properties [[in vitro]].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Bao J, Cai Y, Sun M, Wang G, Corke H |title=Anthocyanins, flavonols, and free radical scavenging activity of Chinese bayberry (''Myrica rubra'') extracts and their color properties and stability |journal=[[Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry]] |volume=53 |issue=6 |pages=2327–2332 |date=March 2005 |pmid=15769176 |doi=10.1021/jf048312z}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Sylvestre M, Legault J, Dufour D, Pichette A |title=Chemical composition and anticancer activity of leaf essential oil of ''Myrica gale'' L |journal=[[Phytomedicine (journal)|Phytomedicine]] |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=299–304 |date=April 2005 |pmid=15898708 |doi=10.1016/j.phymed.2003.12.004}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Cheng HY, Lin TC, Ishimaru K, Yang CM, Wang KC, Lin CC |title=In vitro antiviral activity of [[prodelphinidin]] B-2 3,3'-di-O-gallate from Myrica rubra |journal=[[Planta Medica]] |volume=69 |issue=10 |pages=953–956 |date=October 2003 |pmid=14648402 |doi=10.1055/s-2003-45108}}</ref>
 
 
 
An extract from fruit called [[myricerone]] blocks a [[Receptor (biochemistry)|receptor]] for the [[peptide]], [[endothelin]] in vitro, an important mediator of [[blood vessel]] constriction, indicating potential for [[drug]] development.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Mihara S, Fujimoto M |title=The endothelin ETA receptor-specific effect of 50-235, a nonpeptide endothelin antagonist |journal=[[European Journal of Pharmacology]] |volume=246 |issue=1 |pages=33–38 |date=June 1993 |pmid=8354341 |doi=10.1016/0922-4106(93)90006-U}}</ref>
 
 
 
==Cultural significance==
 
Archaeological and written evidence suggest that yangmei cultivation first took place in China over 2,000 years ago during the [[Han Dynasty]].<ref name=joyce/> Yangmei is mentioned throughout [[Chinese literature]], including several appearances in [[Li Bai]]'s poems.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wende |first1=Meng Meng |title=Ancient and Modern Yangmei Poems |url=https://www.douban.com/note/184238212/ |website=Douban |accessdate=14 September 2018}}</ref>
 
 
 
In Japan, it is the [[Prefectures of Japan|prefectural]] flower of [[Kōchi Prefecture|Kōchi]] and the prefectural tree of [[Tokushima Prefecture|Tokushima]]. The plant's name appears in many old [[Japanese poetry|Japanese poems]].
 
 
 
==References==
 
{{Reflist|2}}
 
 
 
==External links==
 
{{Wikispecies}}
 
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070126045942/http://www.mipang.com/blog/459.726432fa50.htm ''Myrica rubra'' photos]
 
 
 
{{Commons category|position=left|Morella rubra}}
 
 
 
{{Taxonbar|from=Q311617}}
 
{{Authority control}}
 
 
 
[[Category:Myrica|rubra]]
 
[[Category:Endemic flora of China]]
 
[[Category:Flora of South-Central China]]
 
[[Category:Garden plants of Asia]]
 
[[Category:Ornamental trees]]
 

Latest revision as of 17:18, 6 October 2021

Myrica rubra
Myrica rubra5.jpg
Myrica rubra in garden
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Myricaceae
Genus: Myrica
Species:
M. rubra
Binomial name
Myrica rubra
Synonyms

Morella rubra Lour.
Myrica rubra var. acuminata Nakai.

Keenan has eaten sugared, dried yángméi (Chinese bayberry) sold as "dried plum". The flavor is good and interesting, reminiscent of ume with that funky sourness, but mostly it tastes like delicious sweet fruit candy. Still need to try the fresh fruit.