Spanish

Noun

níspero m ‎(plural nísperos)

1. medlar (Mespilus germanica, now Crataegus germanics)
2. loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)
3. sapodilla (Manilkara zapota and Manilkara huberi)
4. great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis)

Usage notes

• The medlar was the original níspero, but is becoming less and less well-known. Even in Spain, where the medlar still grows, the medlar is being replaced by the introduced loquat in most usage. If you want to be sure, the loquat is níspero japonés and the medlar is níspero europeo. Níspero for the sapodilla is local usage in parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and Venezuela.