Medlar, Mespilusgermanica L., used to be a much more popular fruit, especially in Europe where it had been spread from the southeast were it originated in adjacent parts of Asia., but the reputation was tarnished due the appearance of the fruit and need of bletting before it was eatable resulting in various vulgar common names and associations with immorality. Bletting is basically becoming overripe almost to the point of being rotten and the most familiar example is saying that native persimmons, Diospyros virginiana L., are not good until after a frost. This was so vulgar that even the numerous literary references were censored, including Shakespeare and Chaucer, making the meanings of the references even more vague.
Loquat, Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl., was once put is the same genus as meldar and is often calde Japanese meldar. Other than than there was no other none species in the genus until Stern's medlar, Mespiluscanescens Phipps, was discovered in Arkansas in 1990. This plant is really rare in the wild where the entire population consists of little more than a couple dozen plants in a small preserve of about 20 acres. The fruit are glossy red rather than the dull brown fruits of the common meldar. Due to Stern's meldar being so rare it is unlikely to ever be available at a nursery, but I hope it does although the endangered species act tends to make this less likely and even discourages potential propagation efforts.
