Қытай шапаты (mūguā) ағашы

Genus of trees

Pseudocydonia sinensis or Chinese quince is a deciduous or semi evergreen tree in the family Rosaceae, native to southern and eastern China. It is the sole species in the genus Pseudocydonia. and as a food in East Asia. Trees are generally tall. The tree is closely related to the east Asian genus Chaenomeles, and is sometimes placed as Chaenomeles sinensis, but lacks thorns and has single, not clustered, flowers. Chinese quince is further distinguished from quince, Cydonia oblonga, by its serrated leaves and lack of fuzz.

In China, both the tree and its fruit are called mùguā (木瓜), which also refers to papaya and the flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa). In Korea the tree is called mogwa namu (모과나무) and the fruit mogwa (모과) (from mokgwa (목과; 木瓜), the Korean reading of the Chinese characters). In Japan, both tree and fruit are called karin (花梨; rarely 榠樝) except in medicine where the fruit is called wa mokka (和木瓜) from the Chinese and Korean names.

Trees grow to 10–18 m tall, with a dense, twiggy crown. The leaves are alternately arranged, simple, 6–12 cm long and 3–6 cm broad, and with serrated margin. The flowers are 2.5–4 cm diameter, with five pale pink petals; flowering is in mid spring. The fruit is a large ovoid pome 12–17 cm long with five carpels; it gives off an intense, sweet smell when it ripens in late autumn.

The fruit is hard and astringent, though it softens and becomes less astringent after a period of frost. It can be used to make jam, much like quince. In Korea, the fruit is used to make mogwa cheong (preserved quince) and mogwa cha (quince tea). The fruit is also used in traditional Chinese medicine.