Armeniaca dasycarpa

(Ehrhart) Borkhausen

Black apricot, Purple apricot

RosaceaeFruitSeeds/NutsPotential hazards — see below

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Wikimedia Commons - Feles gracilis

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit, Seeds

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.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant.

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

Countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Antigua & Barbuda, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Barbados, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Brunei, Bahamas, Bhutan, Belarus, Belize, Canada, Switzerland, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Grenada, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Croatia, Haiti, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, St Kitts & Nevis, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, St Lucia, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Malta, Maldives, Mexico, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Oman, Panama, Philippines, Pakistan, Poland, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, San Marino, El Salvador, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Taiwan, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan, St Vincent, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

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.

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.

Names & Synonyms

Susincocco, Zi xing

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

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
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