落(luo)(luo)葉(xie)(xie)灌木,高達2米(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi),枝條直(zhi)立(li)開展,有(you)(you)(you)刺;小枝圓柱(zhu)形(xing)(xing),微屈曲,無(wu)毛(mao)(mao)(mao)(mao),紫(zi)褐(he)色(se)(se)(se)(se)或(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)黑褐(he)色(se)(se)(se)(se),有(you)(you)(you)疏生(sheng)(sheng)淺(qian)褐(he)色(se)(se)(se)(se)皮孔(kong);冬芽三(san)角卵(luan)形(xing)(xing),先(xian)端(duan)急尖(jian),近(jin)于無(wu)毛(mao)(mao)(mao)(mao)或(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)在鱗片邊緣(yuan)(yuan)(yuan)具短(duan)柔毛(mao)(mao)(mao)(mao),紫(zi)褐(he)色(se)(se)(se)(se)。葉(xie)(xie)片卵(luan)形(xing)(xing)至橢(tuo)圓形(xing)(xing),稀(xi)(xi)長(chang)(chang)橢(tuo)圓形(xing)(xing),長(chang)(chang)3-9厘(li)米(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi),寬1.5-5厘(li)米(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi),先(xian)端(duan)急尖(jian)稀(xi)(xi)圓鈍,基部楔形(xing)(xing)至寬楔形(xing)(xing),邊緣(yuan)(yuan)(yuan)具有(you)(you)(you)尖(jian)銳鋸(ju)齒(chi),齒(chi)尖(jian)開展,無(wu)毛(mao)(mao)(mao)(mao)或(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)在萌蘗上(shang)沿下面葉(xie)(xie)脈有(you)(you)(you)短(duan)柔毛(mao)(mao)(mao)(mao);葉(xie)(xie)柄(bing)長(chang)(chang)約(yue)1厘(li)米(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi);托葉(xie)(xie)大形(xing)(xing),草質,腎形(xing)(xing)或(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)半(ban)圓形(xing)(xing),稀(xi)(xi)卵(luan)形(xing)(xing),長(chang)(chang)5-10毫(hao)(hao)米(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi),寬12-20毫(hao)(hao)米(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi),邊緣(yuan)(yuan)(yuan)有(you)(you)(you)尖(jian)銳重鋸(ju)齒(chi),無(wu)毛(mao)(mao)(mao)(mao)。花先(xian)葉(xie)(xie)開放,3-5朵簇生(sheng)(sheng)于二(er)年(nian)生(sheng)(sheng)老枝上(shang);花梗短(duan)粗,長(chang)(chang)約(yue)3毫(hao)(hao)米(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi)或(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)近(jin)于無(wu)柄(bing);花直(zhi)徑(jing)3-5厘(li)米(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi);萼筒(tong)鐘狀(zhuang),外面無(wu)毛(mao)(mao)(mao)(mao);萼片直(zhi)立(li),半(ban)圓形(xing)(xing)稀(xi)(xi)卵(luan)形(xing)(xing),長(chang)(chang)3-4毫(hao)(hao)米(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi)。寬4-5毫(hao)(hao)米(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi),長(chang)(chang)約(yue)萼筒(tong)之半(ban),先(xian)端(duan)圓鈍,全緣(yuan)(yuan)(yuan)或(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)有(you)(you)(you)波狀(zhuang)齒(chi),及黃(huang)褐(he)色(se)(se)(se)(se)睫毛(mao)(mao)(mao)(mao);花瓣倒(dao)卵(luan)形(xing)(xing)或(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)近(jin)圓形(xing)(xing),基部延伸(shen)成短(duan)爪,長(chang)(chang)10-15毫(hao)(hao)米(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi),寬8-13毫(hao)(hao)米(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi),猩紅(hong)色(se)(se)(se)(se),稀(xi)(xi)淡紅(hong)色(se)(se)(se)(se)或(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)白色(se)(se)(se)(se);雄蕊45-50,長(chang)(chang)約(yue)花瓣之半(ban);花柱(zhu)5,基部合生(sheng)(sheng),無(wu)毛(mao)(mao)(mao)(mao)或(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)稍(shao)有(you)(you)(you)毛(mao)(mao)(mao)(mao),柱(zhu)頭(tou)頭(tou)狀(zhuang),有(you)(you)(you)不顯明分裂,約(yue)與雄蕊等長(chang)(chang)。果(guo)實(shi)球形(xing)(xing)或(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)卵(luan)球形(xing)(xing),直(zhi)徑(jing)4-6厘(li)米(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi)(mi),黃(huang)色(se)(se)(se)(se)或(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)帶黃(huang)綠色(se)(se)(se)(se),有(you)(you)(you)稀(xi)(xi)疏不顯明斑(ban)點,味(wei)芳香(xiang);萼片脫(tuo)落(luo)(luo),果(guo)梗短(duan)或(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)(huo)近(jin)于無(wu)梗。花期3-5月,果(guo)期9-10月。
溫帶樹種。適應性強,喜光(guang),也耐半陰,耐寒,耐旱。對土壤要求不嚴,在肥沃、排水(shui)良(liang)好(hao)的黏土、壤土中均(jun)可(ke)正常生長,忌(ji)低洼和(he)鹽堿地。
產陜(shan)西、甘肅、四川、貴州、云南、廣東。緬(mian)甸亦(yi)有分布。
木瓜樹需要(yao)(yao)防(fang)治的主要(yao)(yao)病(bing)害(hai)是(shi)(shi)葉(xie)枯病(bing),對葉(xie)子的危(wei)害(hai)為(wei)主,有多(duo)角形黑褐色病(bing)斑(ban)出現在受(shou)害(hai)葉(xie)片上。凡(fan)是(shi)(shi)在綠葉(xie)期間都可發生這一病(bing)害(hai),而尤其嚴重的在7~8月。防(fang)治措施包括把(ba)枯枝落(luo)葉(xie)清(qing)除并集(ji)中燒掉;以1:1:100倍(bei)的波(bo)爾多(duo)液噴霧于(yu)葉(xie)子上。另(ling)一病(bing)害(hai)就(jiu)是(shi)(shi)蟲害(hai)。這些害(hai)蟲主要(yao)(yao)是(shi)(shi)天牛、蚜蟲,蛀食(shi)樹干、葉(xie)等(deng)(deng)等(deng)(deng),防(fang)治可用(yong)樂(le)果劑1500倍(bei)液施行。
早春(chun)先花(hua)后葉,很美麗。枝密多刺可作綠蘺。
公(gong)園(yuan)(yuan)、庭(ting)院、校園(yuan)(yuan)、廣場等道路兩(liang)側可(ke)(ke)栽植皺(zhou)皮(pi)木瓜樹(shu),亭亭玉立,花(hua)果(guo)繁茂,燦若云錦,清(qing)香四溢,效果(guo)甚(shen)佳。皺(zhou)皮(pi)木瓜作為(wei)獨(du)特孤植觀賞樹(shu)或(huo)三五成(cheng)叢的(de)點綴(zhui)(zhui)于園(yuan)(yuan)林(lin)小品或(huo)園(yuan)(yuan)林(lin)綠地(di)中(zhong)(zhong),也可(ke)(ke)培育成(cheng)獨(du)干或(huo)多(duo)干的(de)喬灌木作片林(lin)或(huo)庭(ting)院點綴(zhui)(zhui);春季(ji)觀花(hua)夏(xia)秋賞果(guo),淡雅(ya)俏秀,多(duo)姿多(duo)彩,使人百看不厭,取(qu)悅其中(zhong)(zhong)。皺(zhou)皮(pi)木瓜可(ke)(ke)制作多(duo)種造型的(de)盆景(jing),被稱為(wei)盆景(jing)中(zhong)(zhong)的(de)十八學士之(zhi)一。皺(zhou)皮(pi)木瓜盆景(jing)可(ke)(ke)置于廳堂、花(hua)臺、門廊角(jiao)隅、休閑場地(di),可(ke)(ke)與(yu)建筑合理搭(da)配,使庭(ting)園(yuan)(yuan)勝(sheng)景(jing)倍添風采,被點綴(zhui)(zhui)得(de)更加幽雅(ya)清(qing)秀。
據(ju)化驗分(fen)析(xi),皺皮木(mu)瓜(gua)優良品種含(han)蛋(dan)白(bai)質0.45%、脂肪0.57%、粗纖維2.11%、可溶性固形物(wu)8.8%、果(guo)膠9.5%、有(you)(you)機酸(suan)(suan)3.22%,每100g鮮(xian)果(guo)中含(han)鈣24.79mg、磷6.04mg、鐵(tie)4.53mg、維生(sheng)素C 96.8mg、維生(sheng)素A 6.35μg。此外,還含(han)有(you)(you)17種氨(an)基(ji)酸(suan)(suan),氨(an)基(ji)酸(suan)(suan)總含(han)量達529m/100g。皺皮木(mu)瓜(gua)最突出(chu)的(de)特點是含(han)有(you)(you)豐富(fu)的(de)齊墩(dun)果(guo)酸(suan)(suan)等有(you)(you)機酸(suan)(suan),加工產品不需添加防腐(fu)劑、檸檬酸(suan)(suan)、香精、色素,是風味獨特的(de)純天然綠色食(shi)品。
果實含蘋果酸、酒石酸、構椽酸及丙種維生素等(deng),干制(zhi)后入藥(yao),有驅鳳、舒筋、活絡、鎮痛、消腫(zhong)、順氣之效。
據上(shang)海藥物研究(jiu)所(suo)等(deng)單位(wei)聯合(he)測定,皺(zhou)(zhou)皮(pi)木(mu)瓜(gua)中含有(you)增強(qiang)(qiang)人體免疫(yi)功(gong)能(neng)、具(ju)廣譜殺菌作(zuo)用(yong)(yong)的(de)齊(qi)墩果酸,對傷(shang)寒、痢疾桿菌和金色葡(pu)萄球菌等(deng)都有(you)較強(qiang)(qiang)的(de)抑制作(zuo)用(yong)(yong)。此外,民間還流傳著很(hen)多用(yong)(yong)皺(zhou)(zhou)皮(pi)木(mu)瓜(gua)健身(shen)治病的(de)土方、驗方,如加蜜糖煮食用(yong)(yong),可順氣、活(huo)血(xue)、壯筋(jin)(jin)骨;皺(zhou)(zhou)皮(pi)木(mu)瓜(gua)煎湯服,用(yong)(yong)于產(chan)婦催奶(nai);老(lao)年人用(yong)(yong)皺(zhou)(zhou)皮(pi)木(mu)瓜(gua)枝干(gan)作(zuo)手杖,可舒筋(jin)(jin)活(huo)絡,延年益壽。另(ling)外,皺(zhou)(zhou)皮(pi)木(mu)瓜(gua)對腰腿酸痛麻木(mu),腓腸肌(ji)痙(jing)攣(luan),四肢抽搐(chu),風濕性關節炎等(deng)病癥具(ju)良好(hao)的(de)功(gong)效。