Rhaphiolepis

Rhaphiolepis ( or ) is a genus of about fifteen species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosaceae, native to warm temperate and subtropical East Asia and Southeast Asia, from southern Japan, southern Korea and southern China, south to Thailand and Vietnam. In searching literature it is well to remember that the name commonly is misspelt "Raphiolepsis". The genus is closely related to Eriobotrya (loquats), so closely in fact, that members of the two genera have hybridised with each other; for example × Rhaphiobotrya, the "Coppertone loquat", is a hybrid of Eriobotrya deflexa X Rhaphiolepis indica. The common name hawthorn, originally specifically applied to the related genus Crataegus, now also appears in the common names for some Rhaphiolepis species. For example, Rhaphiolepis indica often is called "Indian hawthorn", and Rhaphiolepis umbellata, "Yeddo hawthorn".

==Description== left|thumb|Distribution map of Rhaphiolepis and Eriobotrya The species vary in size, some only reaching , while R. ferruginea can reach . The leaves are alternate, leathery, glossy dark green, simple, long, with an entire or serrated margin. The flowers are white or pink, diameter, produced in small to large corymbs with panicle structure. The fruit is a small pome diameter, ripening dark purple to black, usually containing only a single seed.