Prunus domestica

Prunus domestica File:Plum on tree.jpg Prunus domestica plum Probably a round plum or egg plum cultivar Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Rosids Order: Rosales Family: Rosaceae Genus: Prunus Subgenus: Prunus Section: Prunus Species: P. domestica Binomial name Prunus domestica L. Synonyms List Druparia insititia Clairv. Druparia prunus Clairv. Prunus communis Huds. Prunus insititia L. Prunus italica Borkh. Prunus oeconomica Borkh.

Prunus domestica (sometimes referred to as Prunus × domestica) is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae. A deciduous tree, it includes many varieties of the fruit trees known as plums in English, though not all plums belong to this species. The greengages and damsons also belong to subspecies of P. domestica.

Its hybrid parentage is believed to be Prunus spinosa and Prunus cerasifera. This is the most commonly grown plum at least in Europe, and most prunes (dried plums) are made from fruits of this species.

Characteristics

File:Prunus domestica, Agde 01.jpg

A Prunus domestica with its first flowers, here at the end of February

Typically it forms a large shrub or a small tree. It may be somewhat thorny, with white blossom, borne in early spring. The oval or spherical fruit varies in size, but can be up to 8 cm across, and is usually sweet (dessert plum), though some varieties are sour and require cooking with sugar to make them palatable. Like all Prunus fruits, it contains a single large seed, usually called a stone, which is discarded when eating.

Plums are grown commercially in orchards, but modern rootstocks, together with self-fertile strains, training and pruning methods, allow single plums to be grown in relatively small spaces. Their early flowering and fruiting means that they require a sheltered spot away from frosts and cold winds.

For a full discussion of the fruit, see under the main article Plum.

Cultivars

File:Page 14 plum - Imperial Gage, Shropshire Damson, Lombard, Maynard, Yellow Egg.jpg

Various cultivars of plums with number labels - Imperial Gage (1), Damson (2), Lombard (3), Maynard (4) and Yellow Egg (5)

Numerous cultivars have been selected for garden use. The following have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-

'Blue Rock' 'Blue Tit' 'Czar' 'Imperial Gage'

'Jefferson' 'Laxton's Delight' 'Mallard' 'Marjory's Seedling'

'Opal' 'Oullins Gage' 'Pershore' 'Victoria'

Subspecies

Greengages

Mirabelle plum

The European Garden Flora recognises three subspecies, though scientific studies favor a more fine-grained separation:

P. domestica ssp. domestica – common plums, zwetschge (including ssp. oeconomica) P. domestica ssp. insititia – damsons and bullaces, krieche, kroosjes, perdrigon and other European varieties P. domestica ssp. intermedia – egg plums (including Victoria plum) P. domestica ssp. italica – gages (greengages, round plums etc.; including sspp. claudiana and rotunda) P. domestica ssp. pomariorum – spilling P. domestica ssp. prisca – zibarte P. domestica ssp. syriaca – mirabelle plums

The subspecies cross easily, so that numerous intermediate forms can be found: their sweetness and tartness may vary, their colors varying from bluish purple, to red, orange, yellow or light green.

References

• European Garden Flora; vol. IV; 1995.

External links

Media related to at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Prunus domestica at Wikispecies