Prunus armeniaca

Prunus armeniaca, commonly known as the apricot, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.

Etymology

The scientific name Armeniaca was first used by Gaspard Bauhin in his Pinax Theatri Botanici (1623), referring to the species as Mala armeniaca "Armenian apple". Linnaeus took up Bauhin's epithet in the first edition of his Species Plantarum in 1753.

Description

Prunus armeniaca is a small tree, 8–12 m (26–39 ft) tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm (16 in) in diameter and a dense, spreading canopy. The leaves are ovate, 5–9 cm (2.0–3.5 in) long and 4–8 cm (1.6–3.1 in) wide, with a rounded base, a pointed tip and a finely serrated margin. The flowers are 2–4.5 cm (0.8–1.8 in) in diameter, with five white to pinkish petals; they are produced singly or in pairs in early spring before the leaves. The fruit is a drupe similar to a small peach, 1.5–2.5 cm (0.6–1.0 in) diameter (larger in some modern cultivars), from yellow to orange, often tinged red on the side most exposed to the sun; its surface can be smooth (botanically described as: glabrous) or velvety with very short hairs (botanically: pubescent).

Cultivation and uses

Apricots are cultivated throughout the temperate regions of the world, especially in the Mediterranean. They are also cultivated in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. In China, apricots are grown in regions with cold winters and dry, hot summers. The apricot is an important commercial fruit crop in Turkey, Iran, Italy, France, Spain, Syria, Greece and other countries in the Mediterranean region.

Apricots are used in a variety of ways: as fresh fruit, dried fruit, juice, jam, and in various kinds of pastries and desserts. Apricot kernels are used in confectionery and as a source of oil.

See also

• List of apricot diseases
• List of apricot cultivars