In article ,
echinosum wrote:
gray;864450 Wrote:

How can I tell the difference between a plum and a gage ??

If I have a 'plum' in front of me how do I know whether its a plum or
a gage, or a bullace or a damson.

Any definitive answers plz.

If you have a gage, bullace or damson in front of you, then you also
have a plum in front of you.

That is definitely correct.

I don't think "gage" is a valid separate category, rather a vague term
for a group of certain small roundish plums.

Typically ones that are good to eat uncooked.

Damson is a subspecies of plums, specifically Prunus domestica subsp.
institia.

Or not even a subspecies, depending on your viewpoint! I can't
keep track of which sect is in the ascendent this week ....

My understanding of "bullace" is that it means something that is a wild
damson, or close to it. But again, it is not used in a consistent way,
and may just refer to a variety that is more like a wild one.

It's certainly used in that way. The wild bullace is simply the
plum that arrived at the same time as the neolithic farmers. Whether
they brought it, or it was spread by birds, is a good question.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.