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Abstract
Red Bayberry(Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc) called arbutus, Chinese tree berry or Yangmei is an important native fruit and forest tree in China. It has eight classes of cultivars and the characteristics of some promising cultivars are described. 'Biji', 'Dongkui' , 'Ding-ao' and 'Wandao' are the main cultivars and have been planted throughout the country. In China, red bayberry can be used as fruit, medicinal plant, forest and garden tree and has a great economic, ecological and social value. The market outlook of red bayberry is very bright.
Introduction
Red bayberry (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.) is an important native fruit representing an endemic species of China. It is a stone fruit with a berry-like edible portion developed from the exocarp and consisting of capsule-like cellules termed flesh segments. The rich red colors and appealing flavor make this juicy fruit popular with consumers in China. In the last ten years, red bayberry developed very quickly in China. In 2003 the cultivated area in China was 233,000 ha, which is more than 2.6% of the total fruit area and had increased by 44.2% as of 1995 (130,000 ha), and its area in China will likely increase rapidly in the future (1,9).
The commercial cultivation of red bayberry is mainly restricted to China and most of the literature was published in Chinese, so it is less familiar abroad. Li et al. (11) and Chen et al. (1) published reviews in English on the botany and horticulture of red bayberry based on Chinese publications. In the previous reviews, little or no description about the germplasm resources and cultivars were published. This review will mainly introduce germplasm resources, promising cultivais and uses of red bayberry in China.
Distribution
Red bayberry originated in southern China and the geographic distribution is the same as that of citrus, loquat, tea and bamboo, but it is more resistant to cold than citrus and loquat. The range of of M. rubra distribution lies from the eastern coastal area of Taiwan in the east to Ruili county of Yunan Province in the west and from Sanya city of Hainan Province in the south to the Hanzhong district of Shanxi Province in the north, approximately 97° to 122°E longitude and 18°to 33°N latitude....