Greengage

This article is about the European plum cultivar. For the species of green plum from Asia, see Prunus mume.

Greengage
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Prunus
Species:
P. domestica
Subspecies:
P. d. subsp. italica
Trinomial name
Prunus domestica subsp. italica
(Borkh.) Gams ex Hegi
Synonyms[1]

Prunus italica Borkh.

The greengages are a group of cultivars of the common Middle Eastern plum. The first true greengage came from a green-fruited wild plum which originated in Iran. Greengages are grown in temperate areas and are known for the rich, confectionery flavour. They are considered to be among the finest dessert plums; Anna Pavord calls them "most ambrosial of all tree fruit"[2] and David Karp describes them as "the best fruit in the world".[3]

The Oxford English Dictionary regards "gage" and "greengage" as synonyms.[4] However, not all gages are green, and some horticulturists make a distinction between the two words, with greengages as a variety of the gages, scientifically named Prunus domestica (subsp. italica var. claudiana.)[5][6] The gages otherwise include the large and usually purple to blackish but occasionally bright yellow round plums as well as the ancient and little-known Austrian varieties Punze (var. rotunda) and Weinkriech (var. vinaria).

  1. ^ "Prunus domestica subsp. italica". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  2. ^ Anna Pavord, "Plum job: A juicy guide to greengages and plums" Independent (12 August 2011).
  3. ^ David Karp, “"A Finicky Fruit Is Sweet When Coddled",” New York Times (1 Sept. 2004).
  4. ^ Shorter Oxford English dictionary, 6th ed. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. 2007. p. 3804. ISBN 978-0199206872.
  5. ^ Melinda Smale (Editor) Valuing Crop Biodiversity: On-farm Genetic Resources and Economic Change, p. 130, at Google Books
  6. ^ Andrew F. Smith Food and Drink in American History: A "Full Course" Encyclopedia (3 Volumes, 2013), p. 681, at Google Books