‘Meixiang’, a new apricot cultivar

Abstract

'Meixiang', a new hybrid early-maturing apricot cultivar, was bred through the crossing of a large sweet-kernel apricot cultivar (female parent) with an early-maturing apricot (male parent). The fruit is mostly round, with an average mass of 97 g. The fruit peel of 'Meixiang' apricot is golden yellow, and the sunny side is rosy red. It has thick yellow flesh with delicate texture and less fiber, and the edible flesh can reach up to 96% of the whole fruit. 'Meixiang' apricot is an attractive fruit, which has abundant juice, pleasant sweetness and sourness, and intense fruity aroma, and the content of soluble solids is approximately 14.6%. It also has excellent flavor and quality. It is stone-free and the kernel is sweet. This new early-maturing breed has strong adaptability, resistance to cold and tolerance to poor soil conditions, and has high output and high-quality fruits. Its maturity date in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, is around early June.