Prunus mume

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Plum blossom
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Prunus mume
Prunus mume blossoms

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this 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
  • Armeniaca mume Siebold
  • Armeniaca mume var. alba Carrière
  • Armeniaca mume var. alphandii Carrière
  • Armeniaca mume var. pubicaulina C. Z. Qiao & H. M. Shen
  • Armeniaca mume f. pendula (Siebold) H. Ohba & S. Akiyama
  • Prunopsis mume (Siebold) André
  • Prunus makinoensis Lév.
  • Prunus mume formosana Masam. ex Kudô & Masam.
  • Prunus mume microcarpa Makino
  • Prunus mume var. alboplena L. H. Bailey
  • Prunus mume var. laciniata Maxim.
  • Prunus mume var. pendula Siebold
  • Prunus mume var. rosea Ingram
  • Prunus mume var. tonsa Rehder
  • Prunus mume f. alba (Carrière) Rehder
  • Prunus mume f. alboplena (L. H. Bailey) Rehder
  • Prunus mume f. alphandii (Carrière) Rehder

Prunus mume is a Chinese tree species classified in the Armeniaca section of the genus Prunus subgenus Prunus. Its common names include Chinese plum,[2][3][4] Japanese plum,[5] and Japanese apricot. The flower, long a beloved subject in the traditional painting and poetry of Sinospheric countries (including China, Korea, Vietnam, and Japan), is usually called plum blossom.[6] This distinct tree species is related to both the plum and apricot trees.[7] Although generally referred to as a plum in English, it is more closely related to the apricot.[8] In

East Asian cuisine (Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese cuisine), the fruit of the tree is used in juices, as a flavouring for alcohol, as a pickle
, and in sauces. It is also used in traditional medicine.

The tree's flowering in late winter and early spring is highly regarded as a seasonal symbol.

Prunus mume should not be confused with Prunus salicina, a related species also grown in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Another tree, Prunus japonica, is also a separate species despite having a Latin name similar to Prunus mume's common name.

Origin

Prunus mume originated in the region around the

Yangtze River in southern China and was cultivated domestically for both its ornamental beauty and its fruit.[9][10][11] It was later introduced to Japan,[12] Korea, and Vietnam. It can be found in sparse forests, stream sides, forested slopes along trails, and mountains, sometimes at altitudes up to 1,700–3,100 m (5,600–10,200 ft), and regions of cultivation.[13]

Description

Prunus mume is a

meiyu (梅雨, "plum rain").[15] The drupe is 2–3 cm (0.79–1.18 in) in diameter with a groove running from the stalk to the tip.[13] The skin turns yellow, sometimes with a red blush, as it ripens, and the flesh becomes yellow. The tree is cultivated for its fruit and flowers.[2][16]

  • Unripe plum fruits
    Unripe plum fruits
  • Washed and stemmed plum
    Washed and stemmed plum
  • Plum blossoms
    Plum blossoms
  • Plum blossoms
    Plum blossoms
  • Prunus mume "Peggy Clarke" blossoms
    Prunus mume "Peggy Clarke" blossoms
  • Cross section of a Prunus mume trunk
    Cross section of a Prunus mume trunk
  • Weeping plum tree cultivar
    Weeping plum tree cultivar
  • A grove of Prunus mume
    A grove of Prunus mume

Names

The scientific name combines the Latin prūnus (“plum tree”) and the obsolete Japanese 梅 (mume, “plum”). The plant is known by a number of different names in English, including Chinese plum[2] and Japanese apricot. An alternative name is ume or mume.[2] Another alternative name is mei.[13][17]

The flower is known as the meihua (梅花) in Chinese, which came to be translated as "plum blossom"[18] or sometimes as "flowering plum".[19] The term "winter plum" may be used too, specifically with regard to the depiction of the flower with its early blooming in Chinese painting.[citation needed]

In Chinese, it is called mei () and the fruit is called meizi (梅子). The Japanese name is ume (kanji: ; hiragana: うめ), while the Korean name is maesil (Korean매실; Hanja梅實). The Japanese and Korean terms derive from Middle Chinese, in which the pronunciation is thought to have been muəi.[20] The Vietnamese name is mai or (although mai vàng refers to a different plant, Ochna integerrima, in southern Vietnam).[citation needed]

Varieties

Phylogenetic tree and ten representative traits

gardens throughout East Asia, and for cut blossoming branches used in flower arrangements.[citation needed
]

Chinese varieties

In China, there are over 300 recorded

phylogenetics (P. mume and two hybrids) in branches, type of branches in groups, and characteristics of flowers in several forms:[21]

  • Zhizhimei Lei (直枝梅類) [Upright Mei Group], Prunus mume var. typica
    • Pinzimei Xing (品字梅型) [Pleiocarpa Form]
    • Jiangmei Xing (江梅型) [Single Flowered Form]
    • Gongfen Xing (宮粉型) [Pink Double Form]
    • Yudie Xing (玉蝶型) [Alboplena Form]
    • Huangxiang Xing (黃香型) [Flavescens Form]
    • Lü'e Xing (綠萼型) [Green Calyx Form]
    • Sajin Xing (灑金型) [Versicolor Form]
    • Zhusha Xing (硃砂型) [Cinnabar Purple Form]
  • Chuizhimei Lei (垂枝梅類) [Pendulous Mei Group], Prunus mume var. pendula
    • Fenhua Chuizhi Xing (粉花垂枝型) [Pink Pendulous Form]
    • Wubao Chuizhi Xing (五寶垂枝型) [Versicolor Pendulous Form]
    • Canxue Chuizhi Xing (殘雪垂枝型) [Albiflora Pendulous Form]
    • Baibi Chuizhi Xing (白碧垂枝型) [Viridiflora Pendulous Form]
    • Guhong Chuizhi Xing (骨紅垂枝型) [Atropurpurea Pendulous Form]
  • Longyoumei Lei (龍游梅類) [Tortuous Dragon Group], Prunus mume var. tortuosa
  • Xingmei Lei (杏梅類) [Apricot Mei Group], Prunus mume var. bungo
  • Yinglimei Lei (櫻李梅類) [Blireiana Group],
    Prunus × blireana
    , Prunus cerasifera 'Pissardii' × Prunus mume Alphandii

It is disputed whether Prunus zhengheensis (Chinese: 政和杏) is a separate species[22] or conspecific with Prunus mume.[23] It is found in the Fujian province of China. It is only known from one county, Zhenghe. It is a tree 35–40 m (110–130 ft) tall, preferring to grow at 700–1,000 m (2,300–3,300 ft) above sea level. The yellow fruit is delectable and aside from its height, it is indistinguishable from P. mume.

Japanese varieties

In Japan, ornamental Prunus mume cultivars are classified into yabai (wild), hibai (red), and bungo (Bungo Province) types. The bungo trees are also grown for fruit and are hybrids between Prunus mume and apricot. The hibai trees have red heartwood and most of them have red flowers. The yabai trees are also used as grafting stock. Among yabai trees, Nankoume is a very popular variety in Japan,[24] and whose fruits are mainly used for making Umeboshi.

Uses

Culinary use

Beverage

Maehwa-cha

In China,

sweet osmanthus flowers, and is enjoyed chilled, usually in summer.[citation needed
]

In Korea, both the flowers and the fruits are used to make tea.

maesil-cheong (plum syrup) and is served either hot or cold.[citation needed
]

In Japan, a similar drink is made from green plums and tastes sweet and tangy, is considered a cold, refreshing drink, and is often enjoyed in the summer.[citation needed]

Condiment

Maesil-cheong

A thick, sweet Chinese sauce called meijiang (梅醬) or meizijiang (梅子醬), usually translated as "plum sauce", is also made from the plums,[18] along with other ingredients such as sugar, vinegar, salt, ginger, chili, and garlic. Similar to duck sauce, it is used as a condiment for various Chinese dishes, including poultry dishes and egg rolls.[citation needed]

In Korea,

plum wine.[27] The plums can be removed after 100 days, and the syrup can be consumed right away, or mature for a year or more.[26]

Flower pancake

Maehwa-jeon

In Korea,

maehwa-jeon (매화전, 梅花煎; "plum blossom pancake"), the pancake dish is usually sweet, with honey as an ingredient.[citation needed
]

Liquor

Plum liquor, also known as

plum wine, is popular in both Japan and Korea, and is also produced in China. Umeshu (梅酒; "plum wine") is a Japanese alcoholic drink made by steeping green plums in shōchū (clear liquor). It is sweet and smooth. A similar liquor in Korea, called maesil-ju (매실주, 梅實酒; "plum wine"), is marketed under various brand names, including Mae hwa soo, Matchsoon, and Seoljungmae. Both the Japanese and Korean varieties of plum liquor are available with whole plum fruits contained in the bottle. In China, plum wine is called méijiǔ (梅酒).[citation needed
]

In Taiwan, a popular 1950s innovation over the Japanese-style plum wine is the wumeijiu (烏梅酒; "smoked plum liquor"), which is made by mixing two types of plum liquor, meijiu (梅酒) made of P. mume and lijiu (李酒), made of P. salicina, and oolong tea liquor.[28]

In Vietnam, ripe plums are macerated in sticky rice liquor. The resulting liquor is called rượu mơ. A brand selling plum liquor is Sơn Tinh.[citation needed]

Pickled and preserved plums

Maesil-jangajji

In Chinese cuisine, plums pickled with vinegar and salt are called suanmeizi (酸梅子; "sour plum fruits"), and have an intensely sour and salty flavour. They are generally made from unripe plum fruits. Huamei (話梅) are Chinese preserved plums and refer to Chinese plums pickled in sugar, salt, and herbs. There are two general varieties: a dried variety, and a wet (pickled) variety.[citation needed]

Umeboshi (梅干) are pickled and dried plums. They are a Japanese specialty. Pickled with coarse salt, they are quite salty and sour, and therefore eaten sparingly. They are often red in colour when purple shiso leaves are used. Plums used for making umeboshi are harvested in late May or early June, while they are ripe enough in yellow, and layered with much salt.[29] They are weighed down with a heavy stone (or some more modern implement) until late August. They are then dried in the sun on bamboo mats for several days (they are returned to the salt at night). The flavonoid pigment in shiso leaves gives them their distinctive colour and a richer flavour. Umeboshi are generally eaten with rice as part of a bento (boxed lunch), although they may also be used in makizushi (rolled sushi). Umeboshi are also used as a popular filling for rice balls (onigiri) wrapped in nori. Makizushi made with plums may be made with either umeboshi or bainiku (umeboshi paste), often in conjunction with green shiso leaves. A byproduct of umeboshi production is umeboshi vinegar, a salty, sour condiment.[citation needed]

In Korea, there is 'maesil-jangajji' which is similar to 'Umeboshi'. It is a common side dish in Korea.[citation needed]

A very similar variety of pickled plum, xí muội or ô mai is used in

Hà Tây Province
.

Traditional medicine

Prunus mume is a common fruit in Asia and is used in traditional Chinese medicine.[30]

Cultural significance

Plum blossoms have been well-loved and celebrated across the East Asian cultural sphere, which includes China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan.

Hunan Provincial Museum
collection

East Asia

Chinese

"Plum Blossoms" by the painter Chen Lu (陳錄)
"Blossoming plum" by the painter Wang Mian (王冕)
Manual of Plum Blossom Painting, by Song Dynasty painter Song Boren.

The plum blossom, which is known as the meihua (梅花), is one of the most beloved flowers in China and has been frequently depicted in Chinese art and poetry for centuries.[19] The plum blossom is seen as a symbol of winter and a harbinger of spring.[19] The blossoms are so beloved because they are viewed as blooming most vibrantly amidst the winter snow, exuding an ethereal elegance,[19][31] while their fragrance is noticed to still subtly pervade the air at even the coldest times of the year.[31][32] Therefore, the plum blossom came to symbolize perseverance and hope, as well as beauty, purity, and the transitoriness of life.[19] In Confucianism, the plum blossom stands for the principles and values of virtue.[33] More recently, it has also been used as a metaphor to symbolize revolutionary struggle since the turn of the 20th century.[34]

Because it blossoms in the cold winter, the plum blossom is regarded as one of the "Three Friends of Winter", along with pine, and bamboo.[18][35] The plum blossom is also regarded as one of the "Four Gentlemen" of flowers in Chinese art, together with the orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo.[35] It is one of the "Flowers of the Four Seasons", which consist of the orchid (spring), the lotus (summer), the chrysanthemum (autumn) and the plum blossom (winter).[35] These groupings are seen repeatedly in the Chinese aesthetic of art, painting, literature, and garden design.[36]

An example of the plum blossom's literary significance is found in the life and work of poet Lin Bu (林逋) of the Song dynasty (960–1279). For much of his later life, Lin Bu lived in quiet reclusion on a cottage by West Lake in Hangzhou, China.[37] According to stories, he loved plum blossoms and cranes so much that he considered the plum blossom of Solitary Hill at West Lake as his wife and the cranes of the lake as his children, thus he could live peacefully in solitude.[38][39] One of his most famous poems is "Little Plum Blossom of Hill Garden" (山園小梅). The Chinese text, as well as a translation, follows:[40]

As with the literary culture amongst the educated of the time, Lin Bu's poems were discussed in several Song dynasty era commentaries on poetry. Wang Junqing remarked after quoting the third and fourth line: "This is from Lin Hejing's [Lin Bu's] plum blossom poem. Yet these lines might just as well be applied to the flowering apricot, peach, or pear."—a comparison of the flowers with the plum blossom to which the renowned Song dynasty poet

Su Dongpo (蘇東坡) replied, "Well, yes, they might. But I'm afraid the flowers of those other trees wouldn't presume to accept such praise."[32] Plum blossoms inspired many people of the era.[41]

Princess Shouyang, who is prominently featured in a Chinese legend about plum blossoms

Legend has it that once on the 7th day of the 1st lunar month, while Princess Shouyang (壽陽公主), daughter of

Southern Dynasties (420–589) and became popular amongst ladies in the Tang (618–907) and Song (960–1279) dynasties.[45][46] The markings of plum blossom designs on the foreheads of court ladies were usually made with paintlike materials such as sorghum powder, gold powder, paper, jade, and other tint substances. Princess Shouyang is celebrated as the goddess of the plum blossom in Chinese culture.[43][44]

During the

Zijin Mountain in Nanjing, amongst other places).[48][49] Plum blossoms are often used as decoration during the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) and remain popular in the miniature gardening plants of the art of penjing.[19] Branches of plum blossoms are often arranged in porcelain or ceramic vases, such as the meiping (literally "plum vase").[50][51] These vases can hold single branches of plum blossoms and have been traditionally used to display the blossoms in a home since the early Song dynasty (960–1279).[52][53][54]

The

mahjong tile sets, where mei () is usually simply translated as "plum" in English.[55]

It has been suggested that the Japanese practice of hanami may have originated from the Chinese custom of enjoying poetry and wine underneath plum blossom trees while viewing their flowers, that was replicated by Japanese elites. This is supported by the fact that hanami started in urban areas rather than rural areas, that Japanese people initially admired plum blossoms like the Chinese rather than cherry blossoms, and that classic Japanese poetry does not associate cherry blossoms with merriness.[56]

Plum blossoms painted on China Airlines aircraft tails.

The

Republic of China).[60] The flower is featured on some New Taiwan dollar coins.[61]

Korean

Song meiping and Goryeo maebyong

In Korea, the plum blossom is a symbol for spring.[62] It is a popular flower motif, amongst other flowers, for Korean embroidery.[63] Maebyong are plum vases derived from the Chinese meiping and are traditionally used to hold branches of plum blossoms in Korea.[64][65] Korean ceramist Master Kim Se-yong incorporates the blossom into many of his openwork celadon vases.

Also, during Korean Empire period, the plum blossom became the imperial seal and royal official flower. Since ancient times, plum blossom has been filled with meaning and mystery. Plum blossoms bloom at the end of the winter, and because of this, they are called the herald of spring. They also symbolize perseverance because of how they can possibly bloom during the cold winter. Since they are considered the first flower of the year, they also represent purity and renewal. Plum flowers have five petals which are believed to carry 5 different blessings such as: wealth, health, virtue, peaceful and natural death.[66]

Japanese

Plum blossoms are often mentioned in

suits of hanafuda (Japanese playing cards).[67] Plum blossoms were favored during the Nara period (710–794) until the emergence of the Heian period (794–1185), in which the cherry blossom was preferred.[68]

Japanese tradition holds that the ume functions as a protective charm against evil, so the ume is traditionally planted in the northeast of the garden, the direction from which evil is believed to come. The eating of the pickled fruit for breakfast is also supposed to stave off misfortune.[69]

The tradition of hanami was originally performed with plum blossoms rather than cherry blossoms as is common today. The specific custom of viewing plum blossoms in Japan is now called umemi (梅見, plum-viewing).[70][71]

Southeast Asia

Vietnamese

In

Hoàng Mai (yellow plum blossom) is the name of a district in Hanoi. Bạch Mai is also a long and old street in Hanoi. All these places are located in the south part of Hanoi, where, in the past, many P. mume trees were grown.[citation needed
]

See also

References

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  10. .
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