乌荆子李 wu jing zi li

Prunus domestica Linnaeus subsp. insititia (Linnaeus) C. K. Schneider; P. domestica var. insititia (Linnaeus) Fiori & Paoletti.

Shrubs or trees, to 6 m tall. Branches grayish black, glabrous, sometimes spiny; branchlets purplish brown, tomentose. Winter buds solitary or 2 parallel, purplish red, sometimes subglabrous or ciliate at scale margins. Stipules lorate, margin glandular ciliate, apex acuminate. Petiole 1–2(–2.5) cm, pubescent; leaf blade obovate, elliptic, or rarely oblong, 3.5–6(–8) × 2–4 cm, pubescent, soon glabrescent, abaxially pale green, adaxially dark green, base cuneate to broadly cuneate and with a pair of nectaries, margin coarsely serrate with teeth apex obtuse and gland-tipped, apex acute to obtuse; midvein and secondary veins prominent. Flowers 2(or 3) in a fascicle, rarely solitary, 2–2.5 cm in diam. Pedicel 1–1.5 cm, pubescent. Hypanthium outside subglabrous. Sepals narrowly ovate to oblong, outside subglabrous, margin entire or repand, apex obtuse to shortly acute. Petals white and inconspicuously purplish veined, broadly obovate, base broadly cuneate and with a short claw, apex obtuse. Stamens 20–25. Ovary glabrous. Stigma disc-shaped. Drupe bluish black, subglobose to ovoid, 1–2.5 cm in diam., glabrous; endocarp small, ± flattened, nearly smooth. Fl. Apr–May, fr. Jun–Sep.

Cultivated in China [native to SW Asia and Europe].

This species is cultivated for its edible fruit and as grafting stock for other species of Prunoideae.