''Prunus ursina'' (bear's plum, ) is a species of ''

prunus ''Prunus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs from the family (biology), family Rosaceae. The genus includes plums, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots and almonds (collectively Drupe, stonefruit). The genus has a cosm ...

'' native to the woods of

Western Asia West Asia (also called Western Asia or Southwest Asia) is the westernmost region of Asia. As defined by most academics, UN bodies and other institutions, the subregion consists of Anatolia, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Mesopotamia, the Armenian ...

from

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

and

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

. Some sources include this species in '' Prunus cocomilia''.

Etymology

''Prunus'', from the Latin "prūnus" which is a loan from Greek (προῦνον, prounon) means plum tree. ''Ursina'' derives from "ursus", a bear, referring to one of a bear's favorite foods.

Description

''Prunus ursina'' is a deciduous shrub to a small tree, reaching 4 to 8 meters in height; it is highly branched and the branches sometimes bear spines. The twigs are velvety and the leaves are

ovate Ovate may refer to: * Ovate (egg-shaped) leaves, tepals, or other botanical parts *Ovate, a type of prehistoric stone hand axe * Ovates, one of three ranks of membership in the Welsh Gorsedd * Vates or ovate, a term for ancient Celtic bards ...

to oblong. ''Prunus ursina'' produces white hermaphrodite flowers in pairs during the spring. Its 2-to-3 cm unpalatable fruit is globose and turns yellow to dark orange when ripe but may be toxic if consumed excessively.

Uses

The fruit can be used to obtain a dark grey to green dye and a green dye can be obtained from the leaves. Plants in the ''Prunus'' species contain

amygdalin Amygdalin (from Ancient Greek: ' 'almond') is a naturally occurring chemical compound found in many plants, most notably in the seeds (kernels, pips or stones) of apricots, bitter almonds, apples, peaches, cherries and plums, and in the roots ...

and prunasin, substances which break down in water to produce

hydrogen cyanide Hydrogen cyanide (formerly known as prussic acid) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula, formula HCN and structural formula . It is a highly toxic and flammable liquid that boiling, boils slightly above room temperature, at . HCN is ...

. Hydrogen cyanide is a colorless, extremely poisonous chemical that gives almonds their characteristic flavour. These substances are found mainly in the leaves and seed and can be detected by the bitter taste. It is usually present in too small a quantity to do any harm but any very bitter seed or fruit should not be eaten. Consumption of small quantities of hydrogen cyanide stimulates respiration and improves digestion. Excessive consumption of the toxin can cause respiratory failure and death.

Cultivation

''Prunus ursina'' fruits better in full sun but is still successful in partial shade. The tree will form suckers if its shallow roots are damaged. Among the pests that affect the genus ''Prunus'' is

honey fungus ''Armillaria'' is a genus of fungi that includes the '' A. mellea'' species ('honey fungus') that live on trees and woody shrubs. It includes about 10 species formerly categorized summarily as ''A. mellea''. ''Armillaria'' sp. are long-live ...

. The seed requires two–three (2–3) months cold stratification in order to germinate.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from1=Q16967862, from2=Q2715447 ursina Flora of Western Asia