Cherry plum Flint

Seedling of the Asharakskaya 2 variety, self-pollinating. Originator — Crimean Experimental-Selection Station of the All-Russian Research Institute of Plant Growing named after N.I. Vavilov. Authors: G.V. Yeremin, S.N. Zabrodina. Approved for the North Caucasus region in 1997.

Medium-growth tree, with a dense, rounded-oval crown. The trunk is straight, dark gray, medium thickness. Many buds, medium size. Shoots are vertical, thin — 20-25 mm, with many buds; the tip of the growing shoot is green. The sun-exposed side has a brown tint. Branches are short, medium-sized (bouquet branches, twigs, bark, spurs), longevity up to 5 years. Flower buds are small, rounded, slightly behind, scales of unfolding buds are green. Leaf blade oriented upward during growth, medium size, length 67 mm, width 35 mm, oval shape, base cordate, apex acuminate, upper side green, shiny to medium degree, underside hairy along main and lateral veins. Leaf margin doubly serrated, weakly wavy, glands located at the base of the blade. Petiole medium length — 14 mm, thin — 1.0 mm, very weak pubescence, deep groove, not stained with anthocyanin. One flower develops from each bud, on one-year shoots the average number. Flower size large — 25-26 mm in diameter, corolla slightly closed. Petal medium size — length 12 mm, width 9 mm, oval shape, weakly undulated edge and neck. White color, pink at petal base, wavy apex. Many stamens — 30, filament length 5-7 mm, slightly curved, yellow anthers, stigma 5-8 mm, slightly curved. Stigma higher and lower than anthers, round shape. Calyx bell-shaped. Sepals pressed, triangular 3 x 3 mm, non-hairy. Pedicel medium — 13-15 mm, medium thickness.

Fruit medium size — height 29 mm, width 28 mm, thickness 29 mm, mass 20 g, oval shape, maximum diameter in the middle of the fruit, symmetrical. Absence of ventral suture. Apex slightly depressed, small cavity. Skin color mainly yellow, covering dark-violet, solid. Subcutaneous dots few, merged, yellow. Wax coating medium. Flesh orange, reddish at skin, very dense, low juiciness, cut surface darkens slightly in air. Skin medium thickness, elastic, difficult to separate from flesh, weakly sugary, strongly acidic. Pit does not detach from flesh. Pit medium size, length 18 mm, width 11 mm, thickness 7 mm, mass 0.59 g, 3.24% of fruit mass, surface color brown, oval shape, elongated-elliptical from ventral suture side, symmetrical, maximum thickness in the middle. Ridge not developed, surface almost smooth. Edges of the continuous suture partially fused, edges of the continuous suture whole, ventral suture width medium, base width medium, base shape elongated, apex shape narrow-rounded. Pedicel long — 17 mm, thin — 15 mm, non-hairy.

Fruits are especially valuable for conservation. Conservation rating: juice with flesh — 4.7 points, compote — 4.5 points, jam — 4.6 points. Fruits contain on fresh weight: dry matter — 13.90%, sugars — 7.6%, including sucrose — 3.9%, monosaccharides — 1.7%, acids — 2.20%, sugar-acid index 3.4, pectic substances — 0.58%, polyphenols — 508 mg/100g, flavonols — 35.1 mg/100g, anthocyanins — 68.7 mg/100g, ascorbic acid — 9.4 mg/100g.

Blooms early — at the beginning of April. Self-sterile. Ripe in medium time — at the end of July, fruits remain on the tree for a long time, do not drop, and can be stored in fruit storage up to 3 months. Winter hardiness medium, drought resistance high. Resistant to diseases.

Advantages: high conservation quality of fruits, their transportability.

Disadvantages: insufficient winter hardiness, non-detachable pit, insufficiently large fruits.