Ume

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Chinese Plum
• Japanese Apricot
• Flowering Apricot

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Prunopsis mume
• Armeniaca mume

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is ordered under Rosales and belongs to the family Rosaceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Prunus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a widespread geographical presence across various diverse regions of China. It can be found growing in the South-Central parts of the country, reaching down to the island of Hainan. Moving toward the north, the species is also distributed throughout the Inner Mongolia region. Its range further extends into the area known as Manchuria. Additionally, the plant is commonly documented within China North-Central.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Prunus mume is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, meaning it maintains its vegetative structures and continues to grow and reproduce over multiple successive years. Throughout its life cycle, the plant undergoes distinct seasonal phases, beginning with a period of winter dormancy where it endures cold temperatures, followed by a dramatic spring awakening marked by the emergence of blossoms before the foliage fully develops. As a long-lived woody species, it establishes a robust root system and a sturdy trunk that supports its structural development over decades. Its reproductive cycle involves the flowering of blossoms that facilitate pollination, leading to the development of drupes, which eventually disperse seeds to initiate new generations, ensuring the plant's persistence within its natural habitat across many years.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Prunus mume is characterized by a woody growth form, specifically categorized as a tree. It exhibits a robust structure with a self-supporting habit, meaning it does not rely on climbing mechanisms such as lianas or vines. In terms of stature, the plant reaches a minimum height of 4 m, with an average height of approximately 7 m, and can attain a maximum height of up to 10 m.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

tree

Plant height max:

10 m

Plant height mean:

7 m

Plant height min:

4 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Prunus mume is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency under typical environmental conditions. Its vegetative architecture is defined by specific leaf dimensions that facilitate optimal light interception and gas exchange. The leaves exhibit a varied morphological range, with a mean leaf length of 6 cm, varying from a minimum of 4 cm to a maximum of 8 cm. Complementing this, the leaf width shows significant plasticity, maintaining a mean of 3.75 cm, while ranging from a minimum of 2.5 cm to a maximum of 5 cm. These physiological parameters reflect the plant's structural adaptations for managing transpiration and energy production within its ecological niche.

Leaf length max:

8 cm

Leaf length mean:

6 cm

Leaf length min:

4 cm

Leaf width max:

5 cm

Leaf width mean:

3.75 cm

Leaf width min:

2.5 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Prunus mume is characterized by a flowering and fruiting process defined by specific morphological dimensions. The flowering stage produces blossoms with a length ranging from a minimum of 2 cm to a maximum of 2.5 cm. Following pollination, the plant develops fleshy fruits that vary in size, with an average fruit length of 2.5 cm (ranging from 2 cm to a maximum of 3 cm) and an average fruit width of 2.5 cm (ranging from 2 cm to a maximum of 3 cm). Within these fleshy fruits, the seeds exhibit highly consistent physical properties, maintaining a mean seed mass of 1.042 g, which also serves as both the minimum and maximum recorded mass. The seed volume remains constant at a mean, minimum, and maximum of 1200 mm³.

Flower length max:

2.5 cm

Flower length min:

2 cm

Fruit dryness :

fleshy

Fruit length max:

3 cm

Fruit length mean:

2.5 cm

Fruit length min:

2 cm

Fruit width max:

3 cm

Fruit width mean:

2.5 cm

Fruit width min:

2 cm

Seed mass mean:

1.042 g

Seed volume max:

1200 mm³

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Prunus mume has 3 reported plant parts identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include fruit, flower, leaf.

Fruit

1. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
2. The American journal of Chinese medicine
3. BMC plant biology
4. Journal of nanobiotechnology
5. Archives of pharmacal research

Flower

1. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin
2. Journal of plant research
3. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
4. Journal of natural products

Leaf

1. Pharmaceutical biology

Chemicals

Prunus mume has 40 reported phytochemicals identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Isoquercitrin, RUTIN, CHLOROGENIC ACID, polyphenols, 2''-O-Acetyl-3'-O-Methylrutin.

Isoquercitrin

1. Journal of plant research
2. Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy
3. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

RUTIN

1. Journal of plant research
2. Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy
3. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

CHLOROGENIC ACID

1. Journal of plant research
2. Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy

polyphenols

1. Food & function
2. Current research in food science

2''-O-Acetyl-3'-O-Methylrutin

1. Journal of natural products

2''-O-Acetylrutin

1. Journal of natural products

2-NONENAL

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

3,4-Dimethoxytoluene

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

4-Allylphenol

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

ABA

1. BMC plant biology

Activities

Prunus mume has 6 reported activities identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Antitumor, Hepatoprotective.

Antibacterial

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antimicrobial

1. Frontiers in pharmacology

Antioxidant

1. Frontiers in pharmacology

Antitumor

1. Frontiers in pharmacology

Hepatoprotective

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Mitogenic

1. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry

Conditions

Prunus mume has 13 reported investigations on conditions identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include aldose reductase, platelet aggregation, Clonorchis sinensis, antioxidant, cancers.

Aldose reductase

1. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin
2. Journal of natural products

Platelet aggregation

1. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
2. Journal of natural products

Clonorchis sinensis

1. The American journal of Chinese medicine

Antioxidant

1. Frontiers in pharmacology

Cancers

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Cold stress

1. PeerJ

Colitis

1. Journal of nanobiotechnology

Drought

1. PeerJ

Glucose intolerance

1. Pharmaceutical biology

Mucositis

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Preparations

Prunus mume has 10 reported preparations identified across 13 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include methanolic extract, Extracts of the fruit, Extracts of the fruits, P. mume extracts, PM-EVLPs.

Methanolic extract

1. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin
2. Journal of natural products

Extracts of the fruit

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Extracts of the fruits

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

P. mume extracts

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Pm-evlps

1. Journal of nanobiotechnology

Ubai

1. Chemical & pharmaceutical bulletin

Boiled water extracts

1. The American journal of Chinese medicine

Methanol extracts

1. Genes & nutrition

Prunus mume derived evlps

1. Journal of nanobiotechnology

Solid samples

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis