Plum blossom

Plum blossom

FlosMume

Plumblossom

[alias] sour plum, Huangzi and hehanmei.

[source] Prunus mume (Sieb.) Sieb.etZucc . flower buds.

[plant morphology] it is a deciduous tree with green branchlets, spiny and glabrous ends, alternate leaves, broadly ovate to ovate, 4-10cm in length and 3-5.5cm in width. Its apex is long acuminate, its base is wide wedge-shaped or nearly circular, its edge is serrate, its color is light below, it has hairs on both sides when tender, and only pilose on the veins when old; its petiole is hairy, and its stipules fall early. Flowers 1-2 clusters, first leaves open, fragrant, sepals 5, often purplish red, often not reflexed after flowers; petals 5, white, red or light red, some double petals; stamens many, carpel 1, densely pubescent. Drupe nearly spherical, flat on both sides, with longitudinal groove, 2-3cm in diameter, yellow when ripe, pubescent. The flowering period is March and the fruiting period is May to June.

It is cultivated all over the country.

[picking] when the flowers are not open in early spring, they should be picked and dried at low temperature in time.

[character] the flower bud is spherical, 3-6 mm in diameter and short stemmed. Bracts several layers, scalelike, brown; calyx grayish green or reddish brown; petals 5 or more, yellowish white or light pink. Light weight. It is fragrant, slightly bitter and astringent.

[chemical composition] it contains benzoic acid, benzaldehyde, isoeugenol, etc.

[nature and taste] it is flat in nature, slightly sour and astringent in taste.

[function indications] Kaiyu Hezhong, Huatan, Jiedu. It is used for depression and upset, liver and stomach qi pain, plum kernel Qi, scrofula toxin.

[note] the nearly mature fruit is also used as medicine, called "black plum", which can collect lung and generate fluid.