Leaves falling late, long-oval or obovate, peach-like, one and five-eighths inches wide, four inches long, thick; upper surface roughish, glabrous except for a few hairs on the narrowly grooved midrib; lower surface very thinly pubescent; apex acuminate, base abrupt and nearly acute, margin serrate, with small glands; petiole five-eighths inch long, pubescent on the upper surface, often tinged red, with from two to four reniform or globose, dark amber glands usually on the stalk.
Flowers late, often self-sterile, medium to large.
Fruit somewhat late; medium in size, roundish-ovate or roundish-oblong; cavity shallow, narrow, regular; suture indistinct; apex pointed; color dull, dark red, appearing some time before maturity, covered with thin bloom; dots numerous, minute, yellowish, conspicuous at first, becoming duller; stem slender, long, adhering strongly to the fruit; skin thick, tough, somewhat astringent; flesh pale amber yellow, juicy, nearly tender, mild, aromatic; good in quality; stone adhering, small to medium, roundish-oval, flattened, pointed at the base and apex, with nearly smooth surfaces.
MIRABELLE
Prunus insititia
1. Merlet Abrege des bons fruits 1675. 2. Rea Flora 207. 1676. 3. Quintinye Com. Gard. 68, 70. 1699. 4. Langley Pomona 93, Pl. XXIII fig. VIII. 1729. 5. Miller Gard. Dict. 3:1754. 6. Duhamel Trait. Arb. Fr. 2:95, Pl. XIV. 1768. 7. Knoop Fructologie 2:52, 58. 1771. 8. Lond. Hort. Soc. Cat. 149. 1831. 9. Prince Pom. Man. 2:76. 1832. 10. Poiteau Pom. Franc. 1:1846. 11. Downing Fr. Trees Am. 282 fig. 110. 1845. 12. Thomas Am. Fruit Cult. 330. 1849. 13. Thompson Gard. Ass’t 518. 1859. 14. Hogg Fruit Man. 371. 1866. 15. Jour. Hort. N. S. 15:359. 1868. 16. Pom. France 7: No. 14. 1871. 17. Mas Le Verger 6:13, fig. 7. 1866-73. 18. Oberdieck Deut. Obst. Sort. 425. 1881. 19. Mathieu Nom. Pom. 431, 432. 1889. 20. Gaucher Pom. Prak. Obst. 93, Pl. 69. 1894. 21. Guide Prat. 163, 361. 1895. 22. Garden 50:364. 1896. 23. U. S. D. A. Div. Pom. Bul. 10:11. 1901. 24. Baltet Cult. Fr. 489, 492 fig. 326, 503. 1908.
Aprikosenartige Mirabelle 16, 19, 20, 21. Damascena Armeniacea 21. Damascena Armeniaca 19. Damas Vert 7. De Mirabelle 21. Gelbe Mirabelle 16, 17, 21. Gelbe Mirabelle 18, 19, 20. Geperlte Mirabelle 19. Green Damask? 3. Kleinste Mirabelle 19. Kleine Mirabelle 19, 20, 21. La Mirabelle 9, 19, 20, 21. Lerchenei 19, 20. Little Mirabelle 9, 19, 20. Mirababelle 20. Mirabel 3. Mirabelle abricotée 16, 19, 20, 21. Mirabelle 14, 17, 19, 21. Mirabelle Blanche 7. Mirabelle Blanche 14, 16, 19, 20, 21. Mirabelle de Metz 15, 19, 20, 24. Mirabelle de Vienne 14, 16, 19, 20, 21. Mirabelle Jaune 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 21. Mirabelle Perle 14, 20. Mirabelle Perlée 7, 16, 19, 20, 21. Mirabelle Petite 8, 9, 11, 13, 17, 19, 21. Mirabelle précoce 16, 17, 19, 20?, 21?. Mirabelle Petite 14. Mirabelle Simple? 7. Mirabelle Verte 16, ?21. Mirabelle Verte ?7. Petit Drap d’Or 9, 19, 20. Petite Mirabelle 9, 16, 19, 20. Petite Mirabelle 16, 17, 21, 24. P. Damascena Armeniacea 16. Prune de Mirabelle 9, 17, 19. Prune de Mirabelle 10. Small Mirabelle 9. Small Mirabelle 19, 20. Syrische Pflaume 19, 20. The Green Damosine Plum ?2. White Mirabelle 14, 16, 19, 21. White Mirable 4. Wiener Mirabelle 19, 20.
Mirabelle, though described in an American fruit book as early as 1832 and mentioned in nearly every pomology since, is hardly known in America. In Europe, especially in France, it is one of the favorite varieties and is in great demand for canning, preserves, compotes, tarts and prunes. The trees of this variety on the grounds of this Station grow very well, producing fine crops of fruit, as it is probable they would do wherever the Damsons can be grown. The small, round, yellow fruits are attractive in appearance, and the sweet, pleasant flavor of the variety should fit it admirably in this country for the purposes for which it is so largely grown by the French. The trees are small but vigorous and healthy, the last two qualities having suggested in Europe their use as stocks, to which purpose they are sometimes put in France when a dwarfing stock is needed. European writers say that the variety may be reproduced from seed.
Mirabelle is a very old plum; it was noted by the pomological writers in the latter part of the Seventeenth Century and since that date it has held a conspicuous place in all of the European plum literature. This variety, though probably sparingly introduced in America at different times, has never been widely cultivated and is not now offered for sale by any of the nurserymen whose catalogs have been consulted for The Plums of New York.
Tree small, round and open-topped, hardy; branches dark ash-gray, smooth, with numerous, small lenticels; branchlets slender, of medium length, dull brownish-red, thorny, glabrous, with numerous, small, indistinct lenticels; leaf-buds of medium size and length, conical, free.