Prunus mume
| Prunus mume | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Rosaceae |
| Genus: | Prunus |
| Subgenus: | Prunus subg. Prunus |
| Section: | Prunus sect. Armeniaca |
| Species: | P. mume
|
| Binomial name | |
| Prunus mume (Siebold) Siebold & Zucc.
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Prunus mume, the Chinese plum,[1][2] is a tree species in the family Rosaceae.[3] It is also referenced by its flowers as plum blossom.[4] Although referred to as a plum in English, it is classified in the Armeniaca section of the genus Prunus, making it an apricot. Mei flowers, or meihua (梅花), which bloom in the late winter and early spring, notably during the spring festival (春節), symbolize endurance, as they are the first to bloom despite the cold; the flower is one of the Three Friends of Winter.
The plant is intimately associated with art, literature, and everyday life in China,[5] from where it was then introduced to Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. In East Asian cuisine (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese cuisine), the fruit, known as meizi (梅子) in Chinese, is used in juices and sauces; as a flavoring for alcohol; and may be pickled or dried. It is also used in traditional Chinese medicine. Meihua are also appreciated for their characteristic fragrance, which is unique among apricots.[6]
Prunus mume should not be confused with the plum Prunus salicina, a related species also grown in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, nor with the common apricot Prunus armeniaca, which is closely related under the same section.
- ^ a b Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group (2025). "Prunus mume". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2025: e.T50026548A276225725. Retrieved 3 April 2025.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: overridden setting (link) Archived from the original on 4 July 2025. - ^ "Prunus mume (Sieb.) Sieb. & Zucc". Encyclopedia of Life. National Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 3 April 2025. Archived from the original on 27 November 2024.
- ^ Zhang Q, Chen W, Sun L, et al. (27 December 2012). "The genome of Prunus mume". Nature Communications. 3 (1): 1318. Bibcode:2012NatCo...3.1318Z. doi:10.1038/ncomms2290. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 3535359. PMID 23271652.
- ^ Fan C (2010). Treatises of the Supervisor and Guardian of the Cinnamon Sea (Translated ed.). Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. LV. ISBN 978-0-295-99079-8.
- ^ Valder P, ed. (1999). The garden plants of China. Portland, Or: Timber Press. ISBN 978-0-88192-470-1.
- ^ Ding A, Bao F, Ding A, et al. (December 2022). "Cold Hardiness of Prunus mume 'Xiang Ruibai' and Its Parents Based on Biological Indexes and Physical Parameters". Forests. 13 (12): 2163. Bibcode:2022Fore...13.2163D. doi:10.3390/f13122163. ISSN 1999-4907.