✵This article documents the herb Loquat Leaf, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical source—namely (1) Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.—and provides a detailed description of the plant’s botanical features, growth characteristics, ecological environment, macroscopic and microscopic features of the herb, pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Folium Eriobotryae (Loquat Leaf)
Pinyin Name: Pí Pá Yè
English Name: Loquat Leaf
Latin Name:Folium Eriobotryae Property and Flavor: Slightly cold; bitter
Brief Introduction:Folium Eriobotryae is the dried leaf of Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl., used (1) to clear lung heat and resolve phlegm to stop coughing in cases of lung heat, and (2) to stop vomiting due to stomach heat. It is commonly known as Loquat Leaf or Pí Pá Yè.
Botanical Source:Folium Eriobotryae (Loquat Leaf) is the dried leaf of Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl., a species in the genus Eriobotrya Lindl., family Rosaceae (rose family), order Rosales. It is also known as Loquat Leaf or Pí Pá Yè.
Herbal classical works define Folium Eriobotryae (Loquat Leaf) as the dried leaf of (1) Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. This commonly used species is described below:
(1) Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.
Botanical Description:Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. is also known as Mespilus japonica Thunb. It is commonly called the loquat tree. It is an evergreen small tree, growing up to 10 meters tall. Branchlets are stout, tawny (yellowish brown), and densely covered with rust-colored (auburn) or taupe-brown tomentum. Leaves are coriaceous; petioles are short or subsessile, 6–10 mm long, and covered with taupe-brown tomentum; stipules are subulate and piliferous; leaf blades are lanceolate, oblanceolate, obovate, or oblong, 12–30 cm long and 3–9 cm wide; apex is acute or acuminate; base is cuneate or attenuate into the petiole; margin is sparsely serrate; upper surface is bright and wrinkled; lower surface and petioles are densely covered with taupe-brown (grayish brown) tomentum; lateral veins are in 11–21 pairs.
Panicles are terminal; peduncles and pedicels are densely covered with rust-colored (auburn) tomentum; flowers are 1.2–2 cm in diameter; calyx tube is shallow cyathiform (cup-shaped); sepals are triangular-ovate, outer surface is covered with rust-colored (auburn) villi; petals are white, oblong or ovate, 5–9 mm long and 4–6 mm wide, base is unguiculate (clawed), with rust-colored tomentum; stamens 20; styles 5, distinct, stigma is capitate and glabrous.
Fruits are globose or oblong, 3–5 cm in diameter, yellow or orange; containing 1–5 seeds, which are globose or oblate, 1–1.5 cm in diameter, brown, glossy; seed coat is chartaceous (papery). Flowering occurs from October to December; fruiting occurs from May to June.
Ecological Environment: The tree is commonly cultivated at village edges, on flat land, or on gentle slopes.
Growth Characteristics: The tree prefers a warm, humid climate and thrives in regions with an annual mean temperature of 12–15 °C (53.6–59 °F) and annual precipitation exceeding 1,000 mm. It has no strict soil requirements, but performs best in deep, fertile, well-drained, humus-rich sandy loam.
Characteristics of the Herb: Leaves are oblong or obovate, 12–30 cm long and 3–9 cm wide; apex is acute; base is cuneate; margin is sparsely serrate proximally, entire near the base; upper surface is grayish green, yellowish brown, or reddish brown, glossy; lower surface is light gray or brownish green, densely covered with yellowish tomentum; primary veins are prominently raised on the lower surface; lateral veins are pinnate; petiole is extremely short and covered with brown tomentum; texture is coriaceous yet brittle, easily fractured. The herb has a faint odor and a slightly bitter taste. Higher-grade herb material is intact and grayish green.
✵This article documents the herb Loquat Leaf, including its English name, Latin name, Pinyin name, properties and flavor, botanical source—namely (1) Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.—and provides a detailed description of the plant’s botanical features, growth characteristics, ecological environment, macroscopic and microscopic features of the herb, pharmacological actions, medicinal efficacy, and administration guidelines.
Pinyin Name: Pí Pá Yè
Botanical Description: Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. is also known as Mespilus japonica Thunb. It is commonly called the loquat tree. It is an evergreen small tree, growing up to 10 meters tall. Branchlets are stout, tawny (yellowish brown), and densely covered with rust-colored (auburn) or taupe-brown tomentum. Leaves are coriaceous; petioles are short or subsessile, 6–10 mm long, and covered with taupe-brown tomentum; stipules are subulate and piliferous; leaf blades are lanceolate, oblanceolate, obovate, or oblong, 12–30 cm long and 3–9 cm wide; apex is acute or acuminate; base is cuneate or attenuate into the petiole; margin is sparsely serrate; upper surface is bright and wrinkled; lower surface and petioles are densely covered with taupe-brown (grayish brown) tomentum; lateral veins are in 11–21 pairs.
Panicles are terminal; peduncles and pedicels are densely covered with rust-colored (auburn) tomentum; flowers are 1.2–2 cm in diameter; calyx tube is shallow cyathiform (cup-shaped); sepals are triangular-ovate, outer surface is covered with rust-colored (auburn) villi; petals are white, oblong or ovate, 5–9 mm long and 4–6 mm wide, base is unguiculate (clawed), with rust-colored tomentum; stamens 20; styles 5, distinct, stigma is capitate and glabrous.
Ecological Environment: The tree is commonly cultivated at village edges, on flat land, or on gentle slopes.
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