Armeniaca dasycarpa

(Ehrhart) Borkhausen

Black apricot, Purple apricot

Rosaceae Edible: Fruit, Seeds Potential hazards — see below

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Description

A tree. It grows 4-7 m tall. There are many branches that are thin and purplish red. The leaves are oval and 4-7 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. The plum like fruit are purple-black in colour. They have soft, juicy, slightly acid flesh. They are 3 cm across. Usually the seeds are bitter but are occasionally sweet.

Edible Uses

The fruit are eaten fresh, used for marmalade, and employed as a spice or flavouring. The seeds are usually bitter but occasionally sweet varieties are eaten.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are eaten fresh. They can be used for marmalade. They are also used as a spice or flavouring. The seeds can be bitter but sweet kinds are eaten.

Known Hazards

Seeds are typically bitter; sweet seeds are less common.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant.

Where It Grows

Afghanistan, Asia, China, Europe, France, India, Iran, Middle East, North America, Pakistan, Russia, Ukraine, USA,

Production

In western China plants flower in April to May and fruit June to July.

Other Information

It is a cultivated food plant unknown in the wild.

Notes

There are about 200 Prunus species.

Synonyms

Armeniaca atropurpurea Loiseleur-DeslongchampsArmeniaca dasycarpa (Ehrhart) PersoonArmeniaca fusca Turpin & PoiteauPrunus armeniacea L. var. dasycarpa (Ehrhart) K. KochProbably Prunus vulgarus x Prunus cerasiferaPrunus dasycarpa Ehrart

Also Known As

Susincocco, Zi xing

References (7)

Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 495
Arora, R. K., 2014, Diversity in Underutilized Plant Species - An Asia-Pacific Perspective. Bioversity International. p 57
Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 194 (As Armeniaca x dasycarpa)
Flora of China Vol. 9, p 399 (As Armeniaca dasycarpa) and Flora of China. www.eFloras.org
Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 523

Show all 7 references

Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Seidemann J., 2005, World Spice Plants. Economic Usage, Botany, Taxonomy. Springer. p 49