Quince is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb used to dispel wind and dampness. It consists of the nearly ripe fruit of Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai, a plant belonging to the genus Chaenomeles in the Rosaceae family. It has the effects of relaxing tendons and activating meridians, as well as harmonizing the stomach and transforming dampness. It is primarily used to treat damp-bi-induced stiffness and contractures, aching and heavy pain in the lower back and knees, summer-dampness-induced vomiting and diarrhea, muscle cramps and spasms, and beriberi-related edema.
Quince
Quince is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb used to dispel wind and dampness. It consists of the nearly ripe fruit of Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai, a plant belonging to the genus Chaenomeles in the Rosaceae family. It has the effects of relaxing tendons and activating meridians, as well as harmonizing the stomach and transforming dampness. It is primarily used to treat damp-bi-induced stiffness and contractures, aching and heavy pain in the lower back and knees, summer-dampness-induced vomiting and diarrhea, muscle cramps and spasms, and beriberi-related edema.
Chinese Name : 木瓜
Latin Name : Chaenomelis Fructus
Aliases : Papaya Fruit, Iron-Footed Pear, Autumn Papaya, Sour Papaya
Authentic Producing Area : Mainly produced in Anhui, Hunan, Hubei, Zhejiang, and Sichuan
Nature, Flavor & Meridian Tropism : Sour in taste, warm in nature; enters the Liver, Spleen, and Stomach meridians
Benefits & Efficacy
Benefits
This herb has the effects of relaxing tendons and activating meridians, as well as harmonizing the stomach and transforming dampness.
Indications
It is primarily used to treat damp-bi-induced stiffness and spasms, aching and heavy pain in the lower back and knees, summer-dampness-induced vomiting and diarrhea, muscle cramps and spasms, and beriberi-related edema.
Usage and Dosage
Decoct and take 6–9 g.
Precautions
1. Should not be combined with sulfonamide drugs, as this may cause crystallization, leading to crystalluria or hematuria. 2. Should not be combined with aminoglycosides (streptomycin, erythromycin, gentamicin, kanamycin, etc.), as this may reduce their efficacy. 3. Should not be used in combination with alkaline drugs such as aluminum hydroxide or theophylline, as they may cause a neutralization reaction, reducing or eliminating the therapeutic effect. 4. Should not be used in combination with furazolidone, rifampin, aspirin, or indomethacin, as this may increase nephrotoxicity.
Chemical Constituents
The fruit contains malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, and saponins, as well as oleanolic acid.
Pharmacological Actions
This product has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antitumor, gastrointestinal smooth muscle relaxant, and antibacterial effects.
Relevant Discussions
1. *Mingyi Bielu*: Treats damp-bi pathogenic factors, severe vomiting and diarrhea caused by cholera, and unrelenting muscle cramps.
2. *Bencao Shiyi*: Dispels cold qi, strengthens tendons and bones, aids digestion, and relieves unrelenting thirst following watery diarrhea; take as a decoction. Also, for beriberi affecting the heart, take one fruit, remove the seeds, and take it as a decoction. Additionally, it stops vomiting and regurgitation, as well as phlegm and spittle in the chest and diaphragm.
3. *Rihua Zi*: Stops vomiting and diarrhea, treats奔豚 (a condition characterized by sudden surges of qi), as well as edema caused by beriberi, dysentery with alternating cold and hot symptoms, pain in the chest and abdomen, and alleviates thirst, vomiting, and phlegm.
4. *Tangye Bencao*: The *Bencao* states: “It benefits the lungs and dispels dampness; it harmonizes the stomach and nourishes the spleen.” Dongyuan notes: “When qi is depleted, it can consolidate; when qi is stagnant, it can harmonize.”
5. *Benjing Fengyuan*: For those suffering from headaches, place fresh fruit beside the pillow to disperse liver wind; over time, the condition will gradually improve.
6. *Ben Cao Cong Xin*: It harmonizes the spleen and regulates the stomach; it consolidates the lungs and subdues the liver; it aids digestion and quenches thirst.
7. *Yi Lin Zuan Yao: Medicinal Properties*: It drains the liver and harmonizes the spleen; it clears Shao Yang fire; it also quenches thirst.
8. *Sui Xi Ju Dietary Spectrum*: It regulates qi, harmonizes the stomach, nourishes the liver, relieves distension, relaxes the tendons, subdues wind, and dispels dampness.
Applications
Clinical Applications
1. For bi syndrome with predominant dampness, characterized by aching tendons and bones and stiff joints, combine with Duhuo and Wujiapí to dispel wind and remove dampness. If bi syndrome is due to kidney deficiency, presenting with weakness in the lower back and knees and difficulty walking, combine with Cistanche, Achyranthes, and Dogspine to tonify the kidneys and strengthen the lower back;For stiff tendons and a rigid neck that prevents turning or turning over, combine it with Frankincense, Myrrh, and Raw Rehmannia, as in the *Mogu Decoction* from *Formulas Based on Actual Cases*. For daily maintenance, it can also be used alone by soaking the fruit in wine and drinking it regularly to consolidate the therapeutic effects.
2. To treat vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle cramps caused by damp-turbidity injuring the middle jiao and disharmony of the spleen and stomach, this herb is often used as the primary ingredient, with formulations adjusted according to whether the condition is cold or hot in nature.For cases with a predominance of cold, combine it with Evodia fruit and aniseed to warm the middle burner, transform dampness, and relax the tendons, as in the *Mu Guo Decoction* from *Yin Fang*; for cases with a predominance of heat, combine it with silkworm sand, Coptis, and gardenia to clear heat, drain dampness, and relax the tendons, as in the *Silkworm Droppings Decoction* from *Treatise on Cholera*.This herb excels at relaxing the tendons and can be added as appropriate for cases of tendon and meridian stiffness, cramps, and leg pain caused by other factors.
3. For treating cold-damp beriberi and swelling and pain in the shins, it is combined with Evodia fruit, as in the “Cockcrow Powder” from *Zhu’s Collection of Proven Formulas*. In cases of severe cold-dampness or when beriberi symptoms affect the heart, causing oppression, distension, and shortness of breath, warming and dispersing herbs such as Perilla and Areca nut may be added to enhance the effects of dispelling cold and resolving dampness.
Related Compatibility
1. Papaya Combined with Evodia: Papaya has a sour taste and primarily enters the Liver Meridian; it harmonizes the stomach, transforms dampness, relaxes tendons, and activates the meridians. Evodia has a pungent, opening action and a bitter, descending action; it is the primary herb for the Jueyin Liver Meridian and can warm the meridians, dispel cold, soothe the liver, relieve depression, regulate qi, and alleviate pain.Eucommia primarily disperses, while papaya focuses on consolidation; when combined, one consolidates and the other disperses, working together to harmonize the stomach, transform dampness, relax tendons, activate meridians, warm the middle burner, and relieve pain. This combination is suitable for conditions such as cold-dampness obstructing the spleen, cholera with vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle cramps, or weakness and atrophy of the lower limbs, as well as hernia-related abdominal pain.
2. Papaya combined with Qin Jiao: Papaya softens the liver, relaxes the tendons, activates the meridians, and relieves pain; Qin Jiao dispels wind, removes dampness, unblocks the meridians, and relieves pain, serving as a moisturizing agent among wind-dispelling herbs. When combined, these two herbs eliminate wind-dampness without causing dryness and unblock the meridians without being overly harsh. They are suitable for rheumatic arthralgia and tendon and meridian spasms, and are particularly appropriate for pain and stiffness in small joints and the temporomandibular joint.
3. Papaya combined with Acanthopanax Bark: Papaya relaxes the tendons, alleviates bi syndrome, and eliminates dampness; Acanthopanax Bark strengthens the tendons and bones, restores function in cases of atrophy or paralysis, and also eliminates wind-dampness. When used together, these two herbs enhance the effects of eliminating wind-dampness, relaxing the tendons, and unblocking the meridians. This combination is suitable for bi syndrome with a predominance of dampness, and is particularly appropriate for conditions characterized by pain in the lower back, knees, and lower limbs.
4. Papaya combined with Areca Nut: Papaya harmonizes the stomach, transforms dampness, relaxes the tendons, and activates the meridians; Areca Nut descends qi, transforms dampness, and promotes diuresis. When combined, these two herbs unblock the meridians, transform dampness, and reduce swelling. This combination is suitable for conditions involving cold-dampness descending to the lower body, such as beriberi and edema.
5. Papaya combined with Indigo Powder: Papaya, with its sour taste, enters the Liver meridian to calm the Liver, descend Qi, and eliminate phlegm; Indigo Powder clears heat, detoxifies, and drains the Liver and lungs. When combined, these herbs ensure that Liver fire is cleared so it does not invade the lungs, and that Liver Qi is restrained to assist the lungs’ descending function, jointly achieving the effects of clearing and restraining the Liver, as well as regulating the lungs to stop coughing. This combination is suitable for persistent, unrelenting coughs with yellow phlegm caused by Liver heat invading the lungs.
6. Papaya Combined with Fenugreek: Papaya relaxes the tendons, transforms dampness, unblocks the meridians, and relieves pain; fenugreek tonifies the fire of the Gate of Life and dispels cold and dampness. When combined, these two herbs have the effect of tonifying yang and eliminating cold and dampness. This combination is suitable for swelling and pain in the feet and knees, as well as muscle cramps, caused by cold and dampness in the lower jiao.
7. Papaya combined with coix seed: Papaya resolves dampness and harmonizes the stomach, relaxes the tendons, and activates the meridians; coix seed removes dampness, promotes diuresis, and relieves arthralgia. When combined, they strengthen the spleen, resolve dampness, relax the tendons, and relieve arthralgia. This combination is suitable for edema caused by dampness stagnation in the meridians, as well as vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea resulting from summer dampness.
8. Papaya combined with White Peony Root: Papaya transforms dampness, harmonizes the middle burner, calms the liver, and descends qi; White Peony Root consolidates yin, softens the liver, generates body fluids, and harmonizes the stomach. When used together, this combination is suitable for chest tightness and fullness, abdominal pain and diarrhea, and poor appetite with dry heaving caused by deficiency of stomach yin and rebellious liver qi.
9. Papaya combined with Wood Fragrance: Papaya has an astringent, sour nature that harmonizes the stomach, dispels dampness, and stops vomiting and diarrhea; Wood Fragrance regulates qi, resolves stagnation, strengthens the stomach, and aids digestion. When used together—one dispersing and one astringent—this combination is suitable for chest and abdominal fullness, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and intestinal rumbling caused by summer heat and dampness.
10. Papaya combined with Agastache: Papaya transforms dampness and harmonizes the middle burner, excelling at removing dampness obstruction; Agastache regulates qi and transforms dampness, harmonizing the middle burner and stopping vomiting. When used together, this combination is suitable for treating vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea caused by damp-turbidity obstructing the middle burner.
Medicinal Identification
1. Papaya and Silkworm Sand: Both can dispel wind and remove dampness, relax tendons and activate meridians, and harmonize the stomach while transforming dampness. Both are warm in nature and particularly effective at harmonizing the middle burner and transforming dampness. They can be used to treat damp-bi-induced stiffness and spasms, as well as vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and muscle cramps caused by damp turbidity obstructing the middle burner and disrupting the normal rise and fall of qi. The two are often used in combination to enhance each other’s effects.However, papaya not only dispels dampness and harmonizes the stomach but also effectively relaxes tendons and activates meridians. Its primary strength lies in calming the liver and relaxing tendons, making it a key herb for treating rheumatic arthralgia and tendon and meridian contractures. It can also be used for conditions such as blood deficiency with liver hyperactivity, malnourished tendons and meridians, and spasmodic pain; furthermore, it can treat swelling and pain caused by beriberi, as well as restlessness and irritability. Additionally, it aids digestion and promotes the production of body fluids, making it suitable for cases of indigestion.Silkworm Sand can both dispel dampness and effectively dispel wind; it can be used for all cases of rheumatic arthralgia, regardless of whether wind or dampness predominates. It can also dispel wind and relieve itching, making it suitable for treating hives accompanied by generalized itching.
2. Papaya and White Peony Root: Both treat tendon disorders and can be applied to conditions involving muscle cramps and tendon stiffness. However, papaya specializes in transforming dampness and relaxing the tendons; therefore, it is primarily used for cholera-induced muscle cramps caused by excessive dampness, as well as rheumatic arthralgia and restricted joint mobility.White peony root nourishes blood, consolidates yin, softens the liver, and relaxes the tendons; therefore, it is primarily used for limb stiffness, spasms, and pain caused by deficiency of yin and blood, which fails to nourish the tendons and vessels. Papaya dispels dampness and harmonizes the spleen, treating vomiting, diarrhea, and edema caused by beriberi; white peony root nourishes blood and softens the liver, treating conditions of yin deficiency with floating yang, as well as gynecological disorders.
Related Medicines
1. Papaya Wine (from *Pharmaceutical Standards of the Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China: Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulated Preparations*)
(1) Composition: Papaya, Aged Tangerine Peel, Sichuan Achyranthes, Sichuan Ligusticum, Chinese Angelica, Chinese Angelica Pubescens, Safflower, Millenary Herb, Notopterygium, Gentiana, Mulberry Parasite, Acanthopanax Bark, and Polygonatum.
(2) Functions and Indications: Dispels wind and promotes blood circulation. Used for rheumatic arthralgia, stiffness of tendons and meridians, numbness of the limbs, and joint stiffness.
2. Papaya Pills (from *Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulations*, 2020 Edition) (from *Pharmaceutical Standards of the Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China: Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulations*)
(1) Composition: Papaya, Angelica dahurica, Ligusticum chuanxiong, Angelica sinensis, Cyathula officinalis, Cissus quadrangularis, Millettia reticulata, Achyranthes bidentata, Panax ginseng, Clematis chinensis, processed Aconitum carmichaeli, and processed Aconitum kusnezoffii.
(2) Functions and Indications: Dispels wind and cold; activates the meridians and relieves pain. Indicated for bi syndrome caused by wind, cold, and dampness; numbness of the limbs; generalized pain; weakness in the lower back and knees; and difficulty walking.
3. Leopard Bone and Papaya Wine (from *Pharmaceutical Standards of the Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China: Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulated Preparations*)
(1) Composition: Papaya, leopard bone, Sichuan Achyranthes, Ligusticum chuanxiong, Angelica sinensis, Saposhnikovia divaricata, Safflower, Solanum nigrum root, Gentiana macrophylla, Mulberry twig, Gastrodia elata, Acanthopanax senticosus bark, Dipsacus asper, Polygonatum odoratum.
(2) Functions and Indications: Dispels wind and alleviates pain; removes dampness and dispels cold. Indicated for stiffness of tendons and meridians, numbness in the limbs, joint pain, and rheumatic pain in the joints.
4. Ginseng, Deer Antler, and Papaya Medicinal Wine (from *Pharmaceutical Standards of the People’s Republic of China: Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulated Preparations*)
(1) Composition: Papaya, Angelica dahurica, Atractylodes lancea, Red Peony Root, Sichuan Achyranthes,Chuanxiong, Danggui, Earthworm, Duhuo, Fangfeng, Licorice, Dogspine, Guizhi, Sea Wind Vine, Safflower, Oak Mistletoe, Old Stork Grass, Deer Antler, Ephedra, Qianghuo, Qin Jiao, Blue Wind Vine, Ginseng, Peach Kernel, Weilingxian, Black-striped Snake, Acanthopanax Bark, Asarum, Dipsacus, Processed Aconite Root, Processed Sichuan Aconite Root.
(2) Functions and Indications: Dispels wind and cold; relaxes tendons and promotes blood circulation. Used for pain in the lower back and legs, numbness in the limbs, and damp-type arthritis.
Related Prescriptions
1. Shi Pi San (from *Revised Yan’s Formulas for Saving Lives*)
(1) Composition: Papaya, Aconite, Dried Ginger, Poria, Atractylodes, Magnolia Bark, Wood Fragrance, Areca Nut, Cardamom, Licorice, Fresh Ginger, Jujube.
(2) Functions and Indications: Warms yang and strengthens the spleen; promotes the flow of qi and drains dampness. Indicated for spleen-kidney yang deficiency with internal retention of yin-dampness. Symptoms include severe swelling from the waist down, cold hands and feet, absence of thirst, distension and fullness in the chest and abdomen, loose stools, a white, greasy tongue coating, and a deep, taut, and slow pulse.
2. Liuhe Decoction (from *Formulas of the Bureau of Harmonious Preparations*)
(1) Composition: Papaya, Amomum villosum, Pinellia, Apricot Kernel, Ginseng, Fried Licorice, Red Poria, Agastache, White Lablab, Elsholtzia, and Magnolia Bark.
(2) Functions and Indications: Dispels summer-heat and transforms dampness; strengthens the spleen and harmonizes the stomach. Indicated for conditions where dampness injures the spleen and stomach, or where summer-heat and dampness invade from the exterior. Symptoms include cholera-like vomiting and diarrhea, fatigue and a tendency to lie down, fullness and distension in the chest and diaphragm, and a white, slippery tongue coating.
3. Jiming San (from *Zhu’s Collection of Proven Formulas*)
(1) Composition: Papaya, Evodia, Areca Nut, Dried Tangerine Peel, Platycodon, Fresh Ginger, Perilla.
(2) Functions and Indications: Promotes the flow of qi, descends turbidity, and dispels cold-dampness. Indicated for beriberi, where wind-dampness invades the body and manifests in the legs and feet, causing unbearable pain, necessitating suspension by a rope, incessant cries, and swelling of tendons and vessels.
4. Bi Syndrome Decoction (from *Authentic Treatise on Pulse and Symptoms*)
(1) Ingredients: Papaya, coix seed, astragalus, cyperus, angelica, ligusticum, aconite, and prepared rehmannia.
(2) Functions and Indications: Dispels wind and dampness; relaxes tendons and activates meridians. Indicated for rheumatic bi syndrome.
Medicinal Diet Therapy
1. Papaya Braised with Ribbon Fish (from *Handbook of Home Dietary Therapy*)
(1) Ingredients: 300–350 grams of fresh ribbon fish, 400 grams of papaya
(2) Preparation: Rinse the ribbon fish; peel the green skin off the papaya, remove the white seeds, and cut into chunks; place both in a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, and simmer until tender; season to taste and serve.
(3) Benefits: Nourishes yin, tonifies deficiency, and promotes lactation. Suitable for women with low milk production after childbirth.
2. Papaya Soup (from *Essentials of Dietary Therapy*)
(1) Ingredients: 1,000 g lamb, 5 g cardamom, 300 g peas, 1,000 g papaya, 500 g japonica rice, 200 g white sugar, and seasonings to taste
(2) Preparation: Wash the lamb and cut it into cubes of about 2 cm. Extract the juice from the papaya. Place the papaya juice, cardamom, peas, and japonica rice in a pot together, then add an appropriate amount of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat until the peas and meat are tender. Add white sugar, salt, MSG, and ground pepper.
(3) Benefits: Relaxes tendons and activates meridians; tonifies the middle burner and dispels dampness. Suitable for symptoms such as lower back and knee pain, and numbness in the feet.
3. Papaya Tea (from *Dietary Therapy Materia Medica*)
(1) Ingredients: 2 slices of papaya, 7 mulberry leaves, 3 red dates
(2) Preparation: Remove the pits from the red dates. Finely chop the remaining ingredients and place them in a thermos. Pour boiling water over them and steep for 15 minutes.Take one dose daily, drinking it in place of tea.
(3) Benefits: Suitable for vomiting, diarrhea, painful calf muscle spasms, rheumatic pain, soreness in the lower back and knees, and edema caused by beriberi.
4. Papaya Pudding (from *Essentials of Dietary Therapy*)
(1) Ingredients: 4 papayas, 500 grams of white honey
(2) Preparation: Steam the papayas until tender, peel them, mash into a puree, mix thoroughly with white honey, and store in a container. Take 10–15 milliliters per dose, mixed with boiling water. Take on an empty stomach once daily.
(3) Efficacy: Dispels wind and unblocks the meridians; dispels cold and removes dampness. Suitable for wandering arthralgia, pain in the limbs and joints that moves unpredictably, and difficulty in flexing and extending the limbs.
Notes
Patients requiring treatment with Chinese herbal medicine should first consult a licensed Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) hospital to receive a prescription following a professional TCM differential diagnosis.
Processing & Preparation
Harvesting & Processing
Harvest the fruit in summer or autumn when it is greenish-yellow; blanch it in boiling water until the outer skin turns grayish-white, then split it lengthwise in half and sun-dry it.
Processing Methods
1. Papaya: Take the raw herbal material, remove impurities, wash thoroughly, soak briefly, steam until thoroughly cooked, cut into thin slices, and dry.
2. Roasted Papaya: Take the papaya slices and roast over low heat until slightly charred; remove and allow to cool.
3. After the papaya was sliced, steamed, and stir-fried, it was extracted with 80% ethanol to determine the total flavonoid content of the different processed forms. The results showed that the total flavonoid content of wrinkled-skin papaya was 0.9995% in the raw form, 2.525% in the steamed form, and 3.830% in the stir-fried form, indicating that heat treatment has a significant effect on the total flavonoid content of papaya.
Storage Methods
Store in a dry container; keep the stir-fried papaya tightly sealed and place in a well-ventilated, dry location.
Crude Drug Identification
Identification
The powder of this product is yellowish-brown to reddish-brown. Stone cells are numerous, occurring in clusters or scattered; they are colorless, pale yellow, or orange-yellow, round, oblong, or polygonal in shape, with a diameter of 20–82 μm. The striations are distinct, the pores are fine, and the cell cavities contain brown or orange-red substances.Exocarp cells are polygonal or subpolygonal, 10–35 μm in diameter, with the cell cavities containing brown or reddish-brown material. Mesocarp parenchyma cells are pale yellow or light brown, subcircular, shriveled, and occasionally contain minute calcium oxalate crystals.
Take 1 g of the powdered sample, add 10 mL of chloroform, sonicate for 30 minutes, filter, and evaporate the filtrate to dryness. Dissolve the residue in 2 mL of a methanol–chloroform (1:3) mixture to prepare the test solution.Separately, take 1 g of papaya reference material and prepare a reference material solution using the same method. Then, take an arbutin reference standard and dissolve it in methanol to prepare a solution containing 0.5 mg per mL, which serves as the reference standard solution. Perform thin-layer chromatography (General Chapter 0502): pipette 1–2 μL of each of the three solutions and apply them separately onto the same silica gel G plate. Develop the plate using a mobile phase of cyclohexane-ethyl acetate-acetone-formic acid (6:5:1:0.1) as the developing agent, develop the plate, remove it, allow it to air-dry, spray with a 10% ethanol solution of sulfuric acid, and heat at 105°C until the spots appear clearly. Examine the plate under natural light and under ultraviolet light (365 nm).In the chromatogram of the test sample, spots of the same color and fluorescent spots appear at positions corresponding to those in the chromatogram of the reference herbal material; at positions corresponding to those in the chromatogram of the reference standard, purple-red spots and orange-yellow fluorescent spots of the same type appear.
Properties of Crude Drugs
The fruits are mostly oblong when split lengthwise into two halves, 4–9 cm long, 2–5 cm wide, and 1–2.5 cm thick. The outer surface is purplish-red or reddish-brown, with irregular deep wrinkles; the edges of the cross-section curl inward, the flesh is reddish-brown, and the central part is sunken and brownish-yellow. The seeds are flattened and triangular, often detached, and hard in texture.It has a faint, pleasant aroma and a sour taste. Those that are firm in texture and sour in taste are considered the best.
Properties of Processed Slices
1. Papaya Slices: Thin, crescent-shaped slices with a reddish-brown, wrinkled surface and a purplish-red or reddish-brown rim. They have a faint, refreshing aroma and a sour taste.
2. Roasted Papaya: Resembles papaya slices but is reddish-brown with scorched spots.
Botanical Information
Botanical Classification
Carpus rugosus, a plant of the genus Carpus in the Rosaceae family.
Morphological Characteristics
A deciduous shrub, approximately 2 m tall. The branches are erect and spreading, with thorns; the twigs are cylindrical, slightly curved, glabrous, purplish-brown or blackish-brown, with sparse, light brown lenticels.Leaves are ovate to elliptic, rarely oblong-elliptic, 3–9 cm long and 1.5–5 cm wide, with a cuneate to broadly cuneate base; margins bear sharp, serrate teeth with spreading tips; glabrous or with short soft hairs along the veins on the underside;petioles approximately 1 cm long; stipules large, herbaceous, reniform or semicircular, with sharp double serrations along the margins, glabrous. Flowers bloom before the leaves, clustered in groups of 3–5 on two-year-old branches; pedicels short and stout, approximately 3 mm long or nearly sessile; flowers 3–5 cm in diameter; calyx tube campanulate, glabrous on the outside;sepals erect, apex rounded to obtuse, entire or with wavy teeth; petals obovate or nearly round, base extended into a short claw, 10–15 mm long, 8–13 mm wide, scarlet, rarely pale red or white; stamens 45–50, about half as long as the petals;5-carpel style, fused at the base, glabrous or slightly hairy; stigma capitate, with indistinct lobes, approximately equal in length to the stamens. Fruit globose or ovoid, 4–6 cm in diameter, yellow or yellowish-green, with sparse, indistinct spots, aromatic; sepals deciduous; fruit stalk short or nearly absent. Flowering period: March–May; fruiting period: September–October.
Distribution Area
Distributed in East China, Central China, Southwest China, and Shaanxi, among other regions.
Growth Habits
It prefers a warm and humid climate and is not particular about soil type; it can be cultivated in warmer regions throughout southern China.
Propagation Methods
Propagated by seed, division, or cuttings.
Cultivation Techniques
1. Propagation by seed: Harvest the fruits in November when they turn yellow, become slightly soft, and emit a fragrance. Allow them to after-ripen for several days, then remove the seeds and sow them in a seedbed. Plant at a spacing of 15 cm × (10–15) cm, 6 cm deep, with 2–3 seeds per hole, and cover with 3 cm of soil.Transplant in spring when the seedlings reach 50–60 cm in height. Plant holes should be spaced 70–100 cm apart, with row spacing of 150–200 cm, and a planting depth of 30–40 cm. Place 3–5 kg of well-rotted manure in each hole, plant 2–3 seedlings per hole in a triangular pattern, cover with soil, firm the soil, and water thoroughly to ensure the roots are firmly in contact with the soil; keep the soil moist. After the plants have taken root, hill up the soil once.
2. Propagation by Division: Before March, dig up young offshoots from the base, along with their fibrous roots, and transplant them.
3. Propagation by Cuttings: Between February and March, cut tender branches from papaya saplings and plant them in a nursery bed; transplant them after they have taken root.
Pest and Disease Control
1. Diseases include leaf blight. Clean the orchard in winter and spray a 1:1:100 Bordeaux mixture at the first sign of infection.
2. Pests include the peach aphid, which can be controlled with a 10-fold dilution of tobacco-lime water. For the peach borer, remove and centrally dispose of infested fruit; spray a 3,000-fold dilution of 2.5% Deltamethrin during the early hatching stage of the larvae. Capture and kill star longhorn beetles on sunny days during the adult emergence period.