Prunus vachuschtii | |
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the tree of Prunus Vachuschtii from up close. | |
Scientific classification
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Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Rosaceae |
Genus: | Prunus |
Section: | Prunus sect. Prunus |
Species: | P. vachuschtii
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Binomial name | |
Prunus vachuschtii Bregadze, 1976
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Prunus vachuschtii is a species of plum that is native to the Caucasus region. in Georgia, Prunus vachuschtiiis called by its common name: Georgian: ალუჩა, romanized: alucha.
In Georgia, it is usually eaten by hand and is used to make tkemali, a tart sauce for meat dishes. Although it is probably conspecific with Prunus cerasifera, the cherry plum (in Georgian: ტყემალი, romanized: t'q'emali), Georgians distinguish the two botanically and culinarily. [1] In the Caucasus, P. vachuschtii tends to be found from Caspian sea level up to 500–700 m and P. cerasifera tends to be found at higher elevations, up to 1600–1800 m.[ citation needed]
N. N. Bregadze, who was apparently quite the splitter, described the species in 1976, and identified three forms; Prunus vachuschtii f. imeretinea, P. v. f. meczibuche, and P. v. f. vachuschtii. [2]