Briançon Plum - Botanical poster 50x70cm

Prunus oleaginosa, Briançon Plum

A unique fruit from the high Alps, the Briançon Plum has never been prized for its taste – Poiteau described its "unbearable tartness" – but rather for the richness of its kernel. From this kernel, marmot oil was extracted, a precious essence with a delicate flavor sought after since the 19th century, selling for twice the price of olive oil.

This unassuming Alpine mountain tree embodies utilitarian botany, where the value of a species lies not in its palatability but in the ingenuity of its uses.

The Briançon Plum tree is a small tree, 2 to 2.5 meters tall, with horizontal branches and greenish buds marked with reddish spots.

Its leaves, oval and toothed, resemble those of the elm, hence its nickname "elm-leaved plum tree."

In spring, the tree is covered with small white flowers tinged with yellow, grouped in fours, followed by oval fruits with smooth yellow skin, sometimes spotted with red.

These plums ripen in late September in abundant clusters around the branches. Their yellow flesh, initially tart then bland when fully ripe, is hardly edible. But their oval kernel, sharp on one side and blunt on the other, contains an oily almond with a delicate fragrance. Poiteau notes that brandy could also be made from this fruit, and Bosc suggests planting the tree in rocky areas to stabilize the soil, although the species actually prefers good soil.

This plate is taken from the Traité des Arbres Fruitiers by Pierre-Antoine Poiteau and Pierre Jean François Turpin, a botanical encyclopedia published between 1807 and 1835, a major reference in 19th-century naturalistic illustration.

It combines the rigor of scientific drawing with a rare artistic sensibility, characteristic of the great plates from the golden age of illustrated botany.

• Each poster is printed with 12-color giclée printing, the benchmark for art workshops for reproducing fine tones, subtle gradients, and the most delicate botanical details.
• 200 gsm paper, soft matte finish, 0.26 mm thickness: a rendering close to the original engraving, sharp, without reflection, designed for hanging.
• Printed on FSC certified paper, printed individually to order.
• Shipped in a rigid protective tube.