American wild plum
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Prunus americana |
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| Marshall |
The American wild plum ( Prunus americana ), also known as the prairie plum . The mirabelle-like fruits are tasty. In English it is known as American Plum or Wild Plum , the Lakota called it kánta (shashá) which means "(red) plum".
description
The American wild plum is a small tree or shrub that tends to become dwarfed and thickets, often has a strongly twisted trunk and is branched out many times. On the prairie, it tends to produce only thin poles that branch out bulky. Short branches often wither into strong thorns, similar to the sloes .
The oval, only slightly leathery leaves are opposite, fresh light green and somewhat translucent and 8 to 9 centimeters long, finely sawed twice and pointed at the end.
The flowering period extends from April to May, whereby the flowers , similar to European Mirabelle species, sprout before the leaves. Numerous sweet-smelling, white flowers are then in decorative inflorescences on the branches, especially often on the biennial branches. When winter sets in late, the flowers occasionally freeze off. The five-fold single flowers have a diameter of about 2 centimeters. The petals are rounded and delicate.
The fruits are orange-yellow and, when exposed to strong sunlight, turn bright red, overripe even purple. The flesh is yellow and juicy, the skin slightly waxy and frosted. A large stone core is formed for each fruit. The fruit ripens in late summer from August to early September. In drought years, the prairie plum can stop with the fruit, so that in extremely dry late summer the entire harvest is omitted.
The number of chromosomes is 2n = 16.
ecology
The fruits are eaten by numerous animals, including prairie chickens . The thicket of plum bushes offers small birds good breeding opportunities as well as numerous animals such as white-tailed deer , wild turkeys and snakes as refuge in the otherwise often uncovered prairie .
Occurrence
The natural occurrence of this species extends over eastern and central North America, from the east coast to the entire Great Plains area.
In the mid-west it is often the only wood next to the Virginian bird cherry and various prairie poplars . In the dry grasslands of the prairie , this type of plum often forms island-like groups in valleys, it is also moisture-loving and therefore often found on rivers. But the American wild plum can also be found sporadically on dry hill slopes and on plateaus further to the west. However, it is absent in the Rocky Mountains and on the west coast. The northern limit of distribution is near Manitoba , south you can find it to Florida and Texas , in the west to Colorado and Montana . It prefers light, sandy soils.
use
The prairie mirabelle plum is eaten fresh by the Plains tribes and made into compote and jam. With the Lakota, the plums processed in this way were called kánta wójapi (plum pudding). In the past, plums were also dried for winter storage, often pitted beforehand.
As a wild fruit that gives food, the American plum has a certain significance for ceremonies, albeit to a lesser extent than the Virginia cherry. However, the kernels of the prairie plum play a curious cultural role: The plum stones ( kansú ) were used in the past as playing stones for children's games, which is why even today in Lakota game cards, casino chips, tokens, entrance tickets but also driver's licenses and diplomas are metonymically be referred to as kansú .
Because of the quality of the fruit, this type of plum is now also available for horticulture.
literature
- Melvin R. Gilmore: Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region. 2nd Edition. Lincoln / Nebraska 1991, ISBN 0803270348 .
- James R. Johnson, Gary E. Larson: Grassland Plants of South Dakota and the Northern Great Plains. Brookings, SD 1999, ISBN 0913062065 .
- Rebecca Netzel: Animal Nation and Plant Nation, A Fieldguide for Lakóta Children and for all those adults who still care about Creation . Trier 2007, ISBN 978-3-88476-945-4 .
- Gregory L. Tilford: Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West. Missoula, Montana 1997, ISBN 0878423591 .
- Theodore Van Bruggen: Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Plants of the Northern Plains and Black Hills . Rapid City, 5th ed. 2003, ISBN 0-912410-05-1 .
- Susan J. Wernert (Editor): North American Wildlife. 15th edition. Pleasantville, NY 1991, ISBN 0-89577-102-0 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Prunus americana at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis