Susino Pernicone (local variety of plum)
Prunus domestica L.
RISK OF EROSION: High
DESCRIPTION
Upright variety with medium vigor. The fruits are small and have a round shape. The skin, covered with bloom, has a purplish violet to purplish-blue background color. The pulp, green to yellow in color, is soft, with medium succulence. Sweet, pleasant taste. The average sugar level is 20.7 °BRIX, but at the end of the harvest period it can even reach 30.
Flowering occurs between the second and third ten days of March (first ten days of April for Stanley). The gradual ripening of the fruit starts from the second ten days of August and lasts until the end of the month (first ten days of August for Stanley).
BACKGROUND
A variety of this name has been known and widespread in Central Italy since at least the 17th century. Micheli (1679-1737) enumerates and describes different types of plums bearing this name (yellow pernicona that stands out, small pernicona that stands out, long Roman pernicona, perniconcine, pernicone, long pernicone, small long pernicone, Roman pernicone). Bimbi (1648-1729) depicts several of these varieties mentioned by Micheli in one of his paintings now exhibited in Palazzo Pitti. Regarding the Pernicona, the careful observation conducted on Bimbi’s paintings by some scholars (AA. VV., 1982) has led to the outline of the following description which is very close to that of the variety found in Amelia: «medium-small fruits, spheroidal or slightly ellipsoidal, with rounded apex, not very evident suture, medium peduncle, small peduncle cavity; deep purplish red epicarp, extensively pruinose».
Gallesio also speaks of Pernicona, having observed them in various squares of Italy (Florence, Faenza).
A wax specimen of Susina Pernicona is conserved, together with other pieces, in the demonstrative Carpologia italiana created by Luigi Calamai in 1829 for the Florentine Museum, in Castelnuovo d’Elsa. Also, in this case the similarities with the Amerina variety are important.
On the other hand, the agronomist Mancinelli refers to the territory of Amelia in his work “The Figs and Plums of Amelia” of 1925 which represents a fundamental document for the wealth of data and information about fruit growing in the Amelia area.
TYPICAL PRODUCTION AREA
Municipality of Amelia, but historically widespread in Central Italy.
GASTRONOMIC USE
Used for fresh consumption and appreciated as dried fruit.
Texts taken from “Regional Register of Autochthonous Genetic Resources of the Umbria Region”
biodiversita.umbria.parco3a.org/attivita/registro-regionale/elenco-delle-risorse-iscritte