**2.2 Importance and uses**

Prunus

Pale yellow skin with red splash.

Medium-sized, moderately fuzzy fruit. Orange skin with a blush of red.

Yellow, firm, fine-textured flesh with good flavour.

Firm, juicy, sweet flesh.

*1.29.5 Stark Red Gold*

Early variety.

*1.29.6 Sunhaven*

*1.29.7 Partap*

*1.29.8 Sharbati*

*1.29.9 Khurmani*

*1.29.10 Nectarine*

Fuzzless peach. Smooth skin. Smaller in size. Firm flesh.

Family: Rosaceae.

**2.1 Introduction**

Stronger flavour and aroma.

Scientific name: *Prunus salicina.*

It is a strong growing temperate tree. This fruit have found favour with orchard-

ists because of their phenomenal yield potential and high economic returns. It

Clingstone cultivar. White, soft, juicy flesh.

Bright red skin.

Freestone variety.

Firm, yellow flesh. Freestone variety.

Semi-clinging stone. High-yielding variety.

Medium-sized round fruit.

Round, yellowish red fruit.

12% TSS and 0.7% acidity.

Spreading and vigorous tree.

Large, greenish yellow fruit with rosy patches. Juicy, tasty, white flesh with excellent flavour.

Red-coloured large fruit pointed at the base.

**88**

**2. Plum**

Besides being palatable and delicious, the fruit has high nutritive value also. It is one of the richest sources of vitamin B1. Plum fruit is also rich in vitamin A and riboflavin. It is a good source of sugars, proteins, carbohydrates and minerals like calcium, phosphorous and iron. It is also known for its cooling effect, and it is considered best to overcome jaundice.

### **2.3 Morphological characters**

Tree is medium- to large-sized, upright growing and deciduous. Leaves are alternate, serrate, sharp-pointed, medium-sized and glabrous. Flowers are produced three in a bud on a 1-year shoot or spur. Flowers are perfect, solitary or raceme, with five sepals; five petals, usually white; numerous perigynous stamens; one pistil with elongated style; and two ovules; and the fruit is drupe and usually single seeded. White flowers are seen clustered on the spurs and come to full bloom 7–10 days after the emergence of first flower. The fruit setting starts in the second week of March. Fruit is drupe, and the edible portion is the mesocarp.
