294 BOTANICON SINICUM. 
472.— Li is the Chinese name for the common edible 
plum, Prunus domestica, L. The fruits cultivated at Peking 
under this name, a dark purple and a yellow variety, are 
same as we see in Europe. Other varieties are grown in the 
south. [Comp. Indew Flore sin., 218.] 
Shi king, 515 :—When one throws me a peach, I return 
hima plum. [See also 35, 123, 272.] ; 
Li ki, 1, 461:—Fruits eaten by the ancient Chinese. 
[See quotation under 484 note]. a . 
Mencius, 161:—A plum half-eaten by worms. Shan he 
king frequently. Rh ya, 269-271, 330, 331. | 
Y gee. S. 4 DOS ay Fs Drawings Ch., XXXII, 38, Kiuh 
LVI, 6. In Japan, where Prunus domestica, according 
Stes. [ Syn. plant. weon, jap., 361], has been introduced from 
China, the same Chinese name is applied to it. Phon 20, 
LXI, 2-4, 2s, various varieties of Pr. domestica. ; 
V. supra, 269. S., XI,12. Sm.,174. Pr., 184. 
473.—Hg Mei nowadays in China is a general term applied 
to several species of Prunus, some of them with edible fru 
others not eatable. But what is called mei par excelle 
seems to be Prunus mume, Sieb. At least the Hg FE mei hu 
(mei flower) cultivated at Peking for its beautiful dou 
flowers, and known also under the name of ay SE ti hing 
met (mei with apricot leaves), is Pr. mume, to which species 
in Japan also the Chinese name ij is applied. 
Amen. exot., Hg bai, vulgo ume et ume bos. Pra 
sylvestris spinosa, fructu magno. Fructus fecibus Ja ! en 
cerevisie (sacki) conditi, in Indiam Sinamque transvehunt 
Stepotp & Zuce., Flora japon., 1, 29, tab. 11; Phon 
LXI, 10-13. Pr. mume is cultivated in Japan as ® 
ornamental shrub and also for its fruit, which is salt 
green or employed in this unripe state for preparing 
cooling acid drink. The exceedingly acid dried fruit % 
Prunus, said to be brought from the south, is sold at Pek 
