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{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Japanese Raisin Tree
| image = Hovenia dulcis.jpg
| image_caption = Japanese Raisin Tree, ''Hovenia dulcis''
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Rosales]]
| familia = [[Rhamnaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Hovenia]]''
| genus_authority = Thunb.
| species = '''''H. dulcis'''''
| binomial = ''Hovenia dulcis''
| binomial_authority = [[Thunb.]]
}}
The '''Japanese Raisin Tree''' ('''''Hovenia dulcis''''') is a hardy tree that occurs from [[Japan]], over Eastern [[China]] and [[Korea]] to the [[Himalayas]] (up to altitudes of 2,000 m), growing preferably in a sunny position on moist sandy or loamy soils.
It has however been introduced as an ornamental tree to several countries. The glossy leaves are large and pointed. The trees bear clusters of small cream-coloured hermaphrodytic flowers in July. The drupes appear at the ends of edible fleshy fruit stalks, which is a type of [[Accessory fruit|accessory fruit]].
The sweet and fragrant fruit is edible in raw or cooked state. In dried condition, they look and taste like raisins. An extract of the seeds, bough and young leaves can be used as a substitute for [[honey]].<ref> Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 </ref>
<br />
An extract of the leave contains [[hodulcine]], a [[glycosides|glycoside]] which exibits an anti-sweet activity.<ref name="Kinghorn-book3">Kinghorn, A.D. and Compadre, C.M. Alernative Sweeteners: Third Edition, Revised and Expanded, Marcel Dekker ed., New York, 2001. ISBN 0-8247-0437-1 </ref>
=== Synonyms ===
*''Hovenia acerba'' - Lindl.
*''Hovenia inequalis'' - DC.
== Footnote ==
{{reflist}}
==References==
* Macoboy S. 1991. ''What tree is that?'', 1991. ISBN 1 86302 1310
* [http://mobot.mobot.org/W3T/Search/FOC/projsfoc.html Flora of China]
* Huxley. A. 1992. ''The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening'' MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
<gallery>
Image:Hovenia dulcis SZ74.png|<small>Image from ''Flora Japonica'' </small><br /> <small> by Philipp Franz von Siebold and Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini </small>
Image:Hovenia_dulcis,_fruit.jpg|Ripe drupes of ''Hovenia dulcis'' attached to edible fleshy fruit stalks
</gallery>
{{Commons|Hovenia dulcis}}
[[Category:Rhamnaceae]]
[[Category:Fruit]]
| color = lightgreen
| name = Japanese Raisin Tree
| image = Hovenia dulcis.jpg
| image_caption = Japanese Raisin Tree, ''Hovenia dulcis''
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Rosales]]
| familia = [[Rhamnaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Hovenia]]''
| genus_authority = Thunb.
| species = '''''H. dulcis'''''
| binomial = ''Hovenia dulcis''
| binomial_authority = [[Thunb.]]
}}
The '''Japanese Raisin Tree''' ('''''Hovenia dulcis''''') is a hardy tree that occurs from [[Japan]], over Eastern [[China]] and [[Korea]] to the [[Himalayas]] (up to altitudes of 2,000 m), growing preferably in a sunny position on moist sandy or loamy soils.
It has however been introduced as an ornamental tree to several countries. The glossy leaves are large and pointed. The trees bear clusters of small cream-coloured hermaphrodytic flowers in July. The drupes appear at the ends of edible fleshy fruit stalks, which is a type of [[Accessory fruit|accessory fruit]].
The sweet and fragrant fruit is edible in raw or cooked state. In dried condition, they look and taste like raisins. An extract of the seeds, bough and young leaves can be used as a substitute for [[honey]].<ref> Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 </ref>
<br />
An extract of the leave contains [[hodulcine]], a [[glycosides|glycoside]] which exibits an anti-sweet activity.<ref name="Kinghorn-book3">Kinghorn, A.D. and Compadre, C.M. Alernative Sweeteners: Third Edition, Revised and Expanded, Marcel Dekker ed., New York, 2001. ISBN 0-8247-0437-1 </ref>
=== Synonyms ===
*''Hovenia acerba'' - Lindl.
*''Hovenia inequalis'' - DC.
== Footnote ==
{{reflist}}
==References==
* Macoboy S. 1991. ''What tree is that?'', 1991. ISBN 1 86302 1310
* [http://mobot.mobot.org/W3T/Search/FOC/projsfoc.html Flora of China]
* Huxley. A. 1992. ''The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening'' MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
<gallery>
Image:Hovenia dulcis SZ74.png|<small>Image from ''Flora Japonica'' </small><br /> <small> by Philipp Franz von Siebold and Joseph Gerhard Zuccarini </small>
Image:Hovenia_dulcis,_fruit.jpg|Ripe drupes of ''Hovenia dulcis'' attached to edible fleshy fruit stalks
</gallery>
{{Commons|Hovenia dulcis}}
[[Category:Rhamnaceae]]
[[Category:Fruit]]
