Plum ( lat. Prúnus ) is a genus of plants in the Rosaceae family . Includes about 250 species distributed mainly in the northern temperate regions of the globe . Many representatives of the genus are widely known fruit crops .
Many of the species now included in the genus Prunus were previously classified as independent genera. They have separate names in Russian that are not related to the Russian name of the genus: cherry , peach , apricot , almond , sweet cherry , bird cherry and others.
Botanical description
The leaves are simple, lanceolate, serrated along the edge.
The flowers are usually white or pink, with five petals and five sepals , solitary or in umbels of two to six inflorescences , or up to 20 or more in racemes in bird cherry.
The fruit is a drupe with a relatively large stone.
Classification
According to modern concepts, the genus belongs to the subfamily Amygdaloideae - Almond (syn. Prunoideae - Plum ) [2] .
According to the Germplasm Resources Information Network , the genus Prunus includes four subgenera (previously they were often separated into independent genera):
Almond ( Prunus subgen. Amygdalus ). Axillary buds in triplets. Flowers appear on bare branches in early spring. Representatives are common almond ( Prunus dulcis ), common peach ( Prunus persica ).
Cherry ( Prunus subgen. Cerasus ). The axillary kidney is one. There are two sections :
Prunus subg. Cerasus sect. Cerasus . Representatives are common cherry ( Prunus cerasus ), Pennsylvanian bird cherry ( Prunus pensylvanica ).
Prunus subg. Cerasus sect. Laurocerasus . Representatives are medicinal laurel cherry ( Prunus laurocerasus ), bird cherry ( Prunus padus ).
Prunus subg. emplectocladus . The only representative of the subgenus is the North American species Prunus fasciculata .
Plum ( Prunus subgen. prunus ). The axillary kidney is one. Flowers in early spring appear on unleafed branches. There are five sections :
Prunus subg. Prunus sect. Armeniaca . The representative is the common apricot ( Prunus armeniaca ).
Prunus subg. Prunus sect. Microcerasus . The representative is felt cherry ( Prunus tomentosa ).
Prunus subg. Prunus sect. Penarmeniaca . The representative is the dwarf plum ( Prunus pumila ).
Prunus subg. Prunus sect. Prunocerasus . Representatives - Prunus americana , Prunus nigra .
Prunus subg. Prunus sect. Prunus . Representatives are plum ( Prunus domestica ), cherry plum ( Prunus cerasifera ).
Species
In total, the genus includes at least 254 species .
Main article: Species of the genus Plum
Cherry shrub (steppe). Northern area. Plant height does not exceed the thickness of the snow cover in winter
Apricot fruits
The fruits of the sloe
Fruits of bird cherry
American plum ( Prunus americana )
Angustifolia plum ( Prunus angustifolia )
Manchurian apricot (Prunus mandschurica)
Common apricot ( Prunus armeniaca )
Sweet cherry ( Prunus avium )
Cherry plum ( Prunus cerasifera )
Common cherry ( Prunus cerasus )
Cherry plum ( Prunus divaricata )
House plum ( Prunus domestica typus [4] )
Common almond ( Prunus dulcis )
Bush plum ( Prunus fruticosa )
Ferrous cherry ( Prunus glandulosa )
American garden plum ( Prunus hortulana )
Laurel cherry officinalis ( Prunus laurocerasus )
Portuguese laurel cherry ( Prunus lusitanica )
Bird cherry maack ( Prunus maackii )
Antipka bird cherry ( Prunus mahaleb )
Sea plum ( Prunus maritima )
Japanese plum ( Prunus mume )
Munson plum ( Prunus munsoniana )
Canadian plum ( Prunus nigra )
Bird cherry ( Prunus padus )
Bird cherry ( Prunus pensylvanica )
Peach ( Prunus persica )
Chinese plum ( Prunus salicina )
Apricot plum ( Prunus simonii )
Late bird cherry ( Prunus serotina )
Sakura ( Prunus serrulata )
Turn ( Prunus spinosa )
Coast plum ( Prunus subcordata )
Hairy plum ( Prunus subhirtella )
Prunus tenella Batsch - Steppe almond
Prunus triloba Lindl. - Three-lobed almond
Ussuri plum ( Prunus ussuriensis )
Bird cherry ( Prunus virginiana )
Varieties
In Moscow, as a result of phenological observations made by B.N. Vorobyov, it was established that Chinese plums and cherry plums begin vegetation and flowering earlier than domestic plums; plum genotypes are characterized by a wide reaction rate by the date of the beginning of the growing season; varieties of domestic plum ( 'Victoria' , 'Zyuzinskaya' , 'Orlovskaya Early' and others), Chinese ( 'Krasny Shar' , 'Skoroplodnaya' , 'Amber Balls' ) are characterized by a short growing season), long - by hybrid cherry plums ( Russian plums ) .
The study of the degree of plum fruiting was carried out from 1999-2009. in the Leninsky district of the Moscow region , at the laboratory site of the State Scientific Institution VSTISP of the Russian Agricultural Academy . 245 varieties and forms of the plum subfamily were evaluated, including 160 varieties and forms of domestic plum , 31 varieties of Chinese and Canadian plums, 56 of Russian plum (hybrid cherry plum). Varieties with a regular, fairly high level of fruiting: plums 'Amusing' , 'Superearly' , 'Tulskaya Black' , 'Yakhontovaya' ; cherry plum 'Kuban Comet' .
Plum in culture
In the folk medicine book of 1672 there is an entry: “Plums are sour with a bite, and students are free in nature ... and they have a cleansing, cooling and softening power ...”.
There is a popular saying: "Plum does not praise itself, but the path to it is always trodden."
In China, the petals of this fruit tree symbolize peace, good luck and prosperity.
