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Almond

Almond

The almond, Prunus dulcis (formerly classified as Prunus amygdalus, or Amygdalus communis) is a small deciduous tree belonging to the Subfamily Prunoideae of the Family Rosaceae. An almond is also the fruit of this tree. It is classified with the peach in the Subgenus Amygdalus within Prunus, distinguished from the other subgenera by the corrugated seed shell. The fruit lacks the sweet fleshy outer covering of other members of Prunus (such as the plum and cherry), this being replaced by a leathery coat containing the edible kernel which is often called a "nut" in common and culinary usage, but which is a drupe and not a nut in botanical parlance. The tree is probably a native of southwest Asia and north Africa, but has been so extensively cultivated for so long over the warm temperate regions of the Old World that its original natural distribution is obscure. It can ripen fruit as far north as the British Isles. It is a tree of moderate size; the leaves are lanceolate, and serrated at the edges; and it flowers early in spring. The fruit is a drupe, having a downy outer coat, called the epicarp, which encloses the reticulated hard stony shell, or "endocarp". The seed is the kernel which is contained within these coverings.

Sweet and bitter almond

There are two forms of the plant, one (often with white flowers) producing sweet almonds, and the other (often with pink flowers) producing bitter almonds. The kernel of the former contains a fixed oil and emulsion. As late as the early 20th century the oil was used internally in medicine, with the stipulation that it must not be adulterated with that of the bitter almond; it remains fairly popular in alternative medicine, particularly as a carrier oil in aromatherapy, but has fallen out of prescription among doctors. The bitter almond is rather broader and shorter than the sweet almond, and contains about 50% of the fixed oil which also occurs in sweet almonds. It also contains a ferment emulsion which, in the presence of water, acts on a soluble glucoside, amygdalin, yielding glucose, cyanide and the essential oil of bitter almonds or benzaldehyde. Bitter almonds may yield from 6 to 8% of prussic acid (also known as hydrogen cyanide). Extract of bitter almond was once used medicinally but even in small doses effects are severe and in larger doses can be deadly; the prussic acid must be removed before consumption.

Almond oil

"Oleum Amygdalae", the fixed oil, is prepared from either variety of almond and is a glyceryl oleate, with slight odour and a nutty taste. It is almost insoluble in alcohol but readily soluble in chloroform or ether. It may be used as a substitute for olive oil. The sweet almond oil is obtained from the dried kernel of the plant. This oil has been traditionally used by massage therapists to lubricate the skin during a massage session, being considered by many to be an effective emollient.

Culinary uses

emollient While the almond is most often eaten raw, it is used in some dishes. It, along with other nuts, is often sprinkled over desserts, particularly sundaes and other ice cream based dishes. It is also used in Baklava. There is also almond butter, a spread on the same idea as peanut butter. The sweet almond itself contains practically no starch and may therefore be made into flour for cakes and biscuits for patients suffering from diabetes mellitus or any other form of glycosuria. Almond extract is also a popular substitute for vanilla extract among people with diabetes. Sweet almonds are used in marzipan, nougat, and macaroons, as well as other desserts. Almonds contain 35% US RDA by weight Vitamin E and are high in monounsaturated fat, the "good" fat responsible for lowering LDL cholesterol.

Production

California in the western US has become the single largest producer of almonds since their introduction to the state in the mid 1700s; almonds now serve as California's seventh largest food export. Spain is the next largest producer of almonds after California, producing numerous commercial varieties of sweet almond, most notably the Jordan almond (imported from Málaga) and the Valencia almond.

Pollination

The pollination of California's almonds is the largest annual managed pollination event in the world, with close to one million hives (nearly half of all beehives in the USA) being trucked in February to the almond groves. Much of the pollination is managed by pollination brokers, who contract with migratory beekeepers from at least 38 states for the event.

Cultural aspects

The almond is highly revered in some cultures. Among the Hebrews, it was a symbol of watchfulness and promise due to its early flowering, while the Chinese consider it a symbol of enduring sadness and female beauty. In India, consumption of almonds is considered to be good for the brain. Christian symbolism often uses almond branches as a symbol of the Virgin Birth of Jesus; paintings often include almonds encircling the baby Jesus and as a symbol of Mary. In the Bible, Aaron is chosen among the other tribes of Israel by a rod that brought forth almond flowers. In a similar legend, Pope Urban once declared that a man named Tannhäuser would not receive forgiveness until his wooden staff bloomed again. This occurred after three days, but Tannhauser could not be found. The nut of the tree has also been used a preventative for alcohol intoxication. Folklore claims that almonds are poisonous for foxes. The tree grows in Syria and Israel, and is referred to in the Bible under the name of "Shaked", meaning "hasten". The word "Luz", which occurs in Genesis 30:37, and which some translations have as "hazel", is supposed to be another name for the almond. In Palestine the tree flowers in January. The application of "Shaked" or "hasten" to the almond is similar to the use of the name "May" for the hawthorn, which usually flowers in that month in Britain. The rod of Aaron, mentioned in Numbers 17, was taken from an almond tree. Today, Jews still carry rods of almond blossom to the synagogues on great festival days. The fruit of the almond supplied a model for certain kinds of ornamental carved work (Exodus 25:33-34; 37:19-20).

Etymology

The word 'almond' comes from the Old French almande or alemande, late Latin amandola, derived through a form amingdola from the Greek amugdale, an almond; the al- for a- may be due to a confusion with the Arabic article al, the word having first dropped the a- as in the Italian form mandorla; the British pronunciation ar-mond and the modern French amande show the true form of the word.

External links

- [http://www.almondsarein.com/ The Almond Board of California] Category:Rosaceae Category:Nuts and seeds Category:Agriculture ja:アーモンド

Deciduous

Deciduous means "temporary" or "tending to fall off" (deriving from the Latin word decidere, to fall off).

Botany

In botany, deciduous plants, principally trees and shrubs, are those that lose all of their foliage for part of the year. In some cases, the foliage loss coincides with the incidence of winter in temperate or polar climates, while others lose their leaves during the dry season in climates with seasonal variation in rainfall. The converse of deciduous is evergreen. Many deciduous plants flower during the period when they are leafless, as this increases the effectiveness of pollination. The absence of leaves improves wind transmission of pollen in the case of wind-pollinated plants, and increases the visibility of the flowers to insects in insect-pollinated plants. This strategy is not without risks, as the flowers can be damaged by frost, or in dry season areas, result in water stress on the plant.

Anatomy

In anatomy, deciduous teeth, also called milk teeth, are those that fall out during the course of normal development. Other body parts that are shed, such as antlers, are also described as deciduous. Category:Botany Category:Mouth

Tree

, the tallest tree species on earth]] A tree can be defined as a large, perennial, woody plant. Though there is no set definition regarding minimum size, the term generally applies to plants at least 6 m (20 ft) high at maturity and, more importantly, having secondary branches supported on a single main stem or trunk (see shrub for comparison). Compared with most other plant forms, trees are long-lived. A few species of trees grow to 100 m tall, and some can live for several thousand years. Trees are important components of the natural landscape and significant elements in landscaping, and in agriculture supplying orchard crops (such as apples). Trees also play an important role in many of the world's mythologies (see Tree (mythology)).

Classifications

Tree (mythology)]] A tree is a plant form and trees occur in many different orders and families of plants. Trees thus show a wide variety of growth form, leaf type and shape, bark characteristics, reproductive structures, etc. The earliest trees were tree ferns and horsetails, which grew in vast forests in the Carboniferous Period; tree ferns still survive, but the only surviving horsetails are not of tree form. Later, in the Triassic Period, conifers, ginkgos, cycads and other gymnosperms appeared, and subsequently flowering plants in the Cretaceous Period. Most species of trees today are flowering plants and conifers. The listing below gives examples of many well-known trees and how they are typically classified. A small group of trees growing together is called a grove or copse, and a landscape covered by a dense growth of trees is called a forest. Several biotopes are defined largely by the trees that inhabit them; examples are rainforest and taiga (see ecozones). A landscape of trees scattered or spaced across grassland (usually grazed or burned over periodically) is called a savanna.

Morphology

The basic parts of a tree are the roots, trunk(s), branches, twigs and leaves. Tree stems consist mainly of support and transport tissues (xylem and phloem). Wood consists of xylem cells, and bark is made of phloem and other tissues external to the vascular cambium. Trees may be broadly grouped into exogenous and endogenous trees according to the way in which their stem diameter increases. Exogenous trees, which comprise the great majority of modern trees (all conifers, and all broadleaf trees), grow by the addition of new wood outwards, immediately under the bark. Endogenous trees, mainly in the monocotyledons (e.g. palms), grow by addition of new material inwards. As an exogenous tree grows, it creates growth rings. In temperate climates, these are commonly visible due to changes in the rate of growth with temperature variation over an annual cycle. These rings can be counted to determine the age of the tree, and used to date cores or even wood taken from trees in the past; this practice is known as the science of dendrochronology. In some tropical regions with constant year-round climate, growth is continuous and distinct rings are not formed, so age determination is impossible. Age determination is also impossible in endogenous trees. dendrochronology, Chile]] The roots of a tree are generally embedded in earth, providing anchorage for the above-ground biomass and absorbing water and nutrients from the soil. Above ground, the trunk gives height to the leaf-bearing branches, aiding in competition with other plant species for sunlight. In many trees, the arrangement of the branches optimizes exposure of the leaves to sunlight. Not all trees have all the plant organs or parts mentioned above. For example, most palm trees are not branched, the saguaro cactus of North America has no functional leaves, tree ferns do not produce bark, etc. Based on their general shape and size, all of these are nonetheless generally regarded as trees. Indeed, sometimes size is the more important consideration. A plant form that is similar to a tree, but generally having smaller, multiple trunks and/or branches that arise near the ground, is called a shrub. However, no sharp differentiation between shrubs and trees is possible. Given their small size, bonsai plants would not technically be 'trees', but one should not confuse reference to the form of a species with the size or shape of individual specimens. A spruce seedling does not fit the definition of a tree, but all spruces are trees. Bamboos by contrast, do show most of the characteristics of trees, yet are rarely called trees.

Champion trees

The world's champion trees can be considered on several factors; height, trunk diameter or girth, total size, and age. It is significant that in each case, the top position is always held by a conifer, though a different species in each case; in most measures, the second to fourth places are also held by conifers. ;Tallest trees The heights of the tallest trees in the world have been the subject of considerable dispute and much (often wild) exaggeration. Modern verified measurement with laser rangefinders combined with tape drop measurements made by tree climbers, carried out by the [http://www.uark.edu/misc/ents/home.htm U.S. Eastern Native Tree Society] has shown that most older measuring methods and measurements are unreliable, often producing exaggerations of 5% to 15% above the real height. Historical claims of trees of 114 m, 117 m, 130 m, and even 150 m, are now largely disregarded as unreliable, fantasy or outright fraud. The following are now accepted as the top five tallest reliably measured species: # Coast Redwood Sequoia sempervirens: 112.83 m, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California ([http://www.conifers.org/cu/se/index.htm Gymnosperm Database]) # Coast Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii: 100.3 m, Brummit Creek, Coos County, Oregon ([http://www.conifers.org/pi/ps/menziesii2.htm Gymnosperm Database]) # Sitka Spruce Picea sitchensis: 96.7 m, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California ([http://www.conifers.org/pi/pic/sitchensis.htm Gymnosperm Database]) # Giant Sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum: 93.6 m, Redwood Mountain Grove, California ([http://www.conifers.org/cu/se2/index.htm Gymnosperm Database]) # Australian Mountain-ash Eucalyptus regnans: 92.0 m, Styx Valley, Tasmania ([http://www.forestrytas.com.au/forestrytas/tasfor/tasforests_12/tasfor_12_09.pdf Forestry Tasmania] [pdf file]) ;Stoutest trees The girth (circumference) of a tree is – or at least should be – much easier to measure than the height, as it is a simple matter of stretching a tape round the trunk, and pulling it taut to find the circumference. Despite this, U.K. tree author Alan Mitchell made the following comment about measurements of yew trees in the British Isles: :"The aberrations of past measurements of yews are beyond belief. For example, the tree at Tisbury has a well-defined, clean, if irregular bole at least 1.5 m long. It has been found to have a girth which has dilated and shrunk in the following way: 11.28 m (1834 Loudon), 9.3 m (1892 Lowe), 10.67 m (1903 Elwes and Henry), 9.0 m (1924 E. Swanton), 9.45 m (1959 Mitchell) .... Earlier measurements have therefore been omitted". As a general standard, tree girth is taken at 'breast height'; this is defined differently in different situations, with most foresters measuring girth at 1.3 m above ground, while ornamental tree measurers usually measure at 1.5 m above ground; in most cases this makes little difference to the measured girth. On sloping ground, the "above ground" reference point is usually taken as the highest point on the ground touching the trunk, but some use the average between the highest and lowest points of ground. Some of the inflated old measurements may have been taken at ground level. Some past exaggerated measurements also result from measuring the complete next-to-bark measurement, pushing the tape in and out over every crevice and buttress. Modern trends are to cite the tree's diameter rather than the circumference; this is obtained by dividing the measured circumference by π; it assumes the trunk is circular in cross-section (an oval or irregular cross-section would result in a mean diameter slightly greater than the assumed circle). This is cited as dbh (diameter at breast height) in tree literature. A further problem with measuring baobabs Adansonia is that these trees store large amounts of water in the very soft wood in their trunks. This leads to marked variation in their girth over the year, swelling to a maximum at the end of the rainy season, minimum at the end of the dry season. Although baobabs have some of the highest girth measurements of any trees, no accurate measurements are currently available, but probably do not exceed 10-11 m diameter. The stoutest species in diameter, excluding baobabs, are: # Montezuma Cypress Taxodium mucronatum: 11.42 m, Árbol del Tule, Santa Maria del Tule, Oaxaca, Mexico (A. F. Mitchell, International Dendrology Society Year Book 1983: 93, 1984). # Giant Sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum: 8.85 m, General Grant tree, Grant Grove, California ([http://www.conifers.org/cu/se2/index.htm Gymnosperm Database]) # Coast Redwood Sequoia sempervirens: 7.44 m, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California ([http://www.conifers.org/cu/se/index.htm Gymnosperm Database]) ;Largest trees The largest trees in total volume are those which are both tall and of large diameter, and in particular, which hold a large diameter high up the trunk. Measurement is very complex, particularly if branch volume is to be included as well as the trunk volume, so measurements have only been made for a small number of trees, and generally only for the trunk. No attempt has ever been made to include root volume. The top four species measured so far are ([http://www.conifers.org/topics/biggest.htm Gymnosperm Database]): # Giant Sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum: 1489 m³, General Sherman tree # Coast Redwood Sequoia sempervirens: 1045 m³, Del Norte Titan tree # Western Redcedar Thuja plicata: 500 m³, Quinault Lake Redcedar # Kauri Agathis australis: 400 m³, Tane Mahuta tree (total volume, including branches, 516.7 m³)
However, the Alerce Fitzroya cupressoides, as yet un-measured, may well slot in at third or fourth place, and Montezuma Cypress Taxodium mucronatum is also likely to be high in the list. The largest angiosperm tree is a Australian Mountain-ash, the 'El Grande' tree of about 380 m³ in Tasmania. ;Oldest trees The oldest trees are determined by growth ring counts in cores taken from the edge to the centre of the tree or from entire cross-sections. Accurate determination is only possible for trees which produce growth rings, generally those which occur in seasonal climates; trees in uniform non-seasonal tropical climates grow continuously and do not have distinct growth rings. It is also only possible for trees which are solid to the centre of the tree; many very old trees become hollow as the dead heartwood decays away. For some of these species, age estimates have been made on the basis of extrapolating current growth rates, but the results are usually little better than guesswork or wild speculation. The verified oldest measured ages are ([http://www.conifers.org/topics/oldest.htm Gymnosperm Database]): # Great Basin Bristlecone Pine Pinus longaeva: 4844 years # Alerce Fitzroya cupressoides: 3622 years # Giant Sequoia Sequoia sempervirens: 3266 years # Huon-pine Lagarostrobos franklinii: 2500 years # Rocky Mountains Bristlecone Pine Pinus aristata: 2435 years Other species suspected of reaching exceptional age include European Yew Taxus baccata (probably over 3000 years) and Western Redcedar Thuja plicata. The oldest verified age for an angiosperm tree is 2293 years for the Sri Maha Bodhi Sacred Fig (Ficus religiosa) planted in 288 BC at Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka; this is also the oldest human-planted tree with a known planting date.

Major tree genera

Flowering plants (Magnoliophyta; angiosperms)

Dicotyledons (Magnoliopsida; broadleaf or hardwood trees)

- Anacardiaceae (Cashew family)
- Cashew, Anacardium occidentale
- Mango, Mangifera indica
- Pistachio, Pistacia vera
- Sumac, Rhus species
- Lacquer tree, Toxicodendron verniciflua
- Annonaceae (Custard apple family)
- Cherimoya Annona cherimola
- Custard apple Annona reticulata
- Pawpaw Asimina triloba
- Soursop Annona muricata
- Apocynaceae (Dogbane family)
- Pachypodium Pachypodium species
- Aquifoliaceae (Holly family)
- Holly, Ilex species
- Araliaceae (Ivy family)
- Kalopanax, Kalopanax pictus Kalopanax tree (background) in fall]]
- Betulaceae (Birch family)
- Alder, Alnus species
- Birch, Betula species
- Hornbeam, Carpinus species
- Hazel, Corylus species
- Bignoniaceae (family)
- Catalpa, Catalpa species
- Cactaceae (Cactus family)
- Saguaro, Carnegiea gigantea
- Cannabaceae (Cannabis family)
- Hackberry, Celtis species
- Cornaceae (Dogwood family)
- Dogwood, Cornus species
- Dipterocarpaceae family
- Garjan Dipterocarpus species
- Sal Shorea species
- Ericaceae (Heath family)
- Arbutus, Arbutus species
- Eucommiaceae (Eucommia family)
- Eucommia Eucommia ulmoides
- Fabaceae (Pea family)
- Acacia, Acacia species
- Honey locust, Gleditsia triacanthos
- Black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia
- Laburnum, Laburnum species
- Pau Brasil, Brazilwood, Caesalpinia echinata
- Fagaceae (Beech family )
- Chestnut, Castanea species
- Beech, Fagus species
- Southern beech, Nothofagus species
- Tanoak, Lithocarpus densiflorus
- Oak, Quercus species
- Fouquieriaceae (Boojum family)
- Boojum, Fouquieria columnaris
- Hamamelidaceae (Witch-hazel family)
- Sweetgum, Liquidambar species
- Persian Ironwood, Parrotia persica
- Juglandaceae (Walnut family)
- Walnut, Juglans species
- Hickory, Carya species
- Wingnut, Pterocarya species
- Lauraceae (Laurel family)
- Cinnamon Cinnamomum zeylanicum
- Bay Laurel Laurus nobilis
- Avocado Persea americana
- Lecythidaceae (Paradise nut family)
- Brazil Nut Bertholletia excelsa
- Lythraceae Loosestrife family
- Crape-myrtle Lagerstroemia species
- Magnoliaceae (Magnolia family)
- Tulip tree, Liriodendron species
- Magnolia, Magnolia species
- Malvaceae (Mallow family; including Tiliaceae and Bombacaceae) Bombacaceae
- Baobab, Adansonia species
- Silk-cotton tree, Bombax species
- Bottletrees, Brachychiton species
- Kapok, Ceiba pentandra
- Durian, Durio zibethinus
- Balsa, Ochroma lagopus
- Cacao (cocoa), Theobroma cacao
- Linden (Basswood, Lime), Tilia species
- Meliaceae (Mahogany family)
- Neem, Azadirachta indica
- Bead tree, Melia azedarach
- Mahogany, Swietenia mahagoni
- Moraceae (Mulberry family)
- Fig, Ficus species
- Mulberry, Morus species
- Myristicaceae (Nutmeg family)
- Nutmeg, Mysristica fragrans
- Myrtaceae (Myrtle family)
- Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus species
- Myrtle, Myrtus species
- Guava, Psidium guajavaGuava in flower]]
- Nyssaceae (Tupelo family; sometimes included in Cornaceae)
- Tupelo, Nyssa species
- Dove tree, Davidia involucrata
- Oleaceae (Olive family)
- Olive, Olea europaea
- Ash, Fraxinus species
- Paulowniaceae (Paulownia family)
- Foxglove Tree, Paulownia species
- Platanaceae (Plane family)
- Plane, Platanus species
- Rhizophoraceae (Mangrove family)
- Red Mangrove, Rhizophora mangle
- Rosaceae (Rose family)
- Rowans, Whitebeams, Service Trees Sorbus species
- Hawthorn, Crataegus species
- Pear, Pyrus species
- Apple, Malus species
- Almond, Prunus dulcis
- Peach, Prunus persica
- Plum, Prunus domestica
- Cherry, Prunus species
- Rubiaceae (Bedstraw family)
- Coffee, Coffea species
- Rutaceae (Rue family)
- Citrus, Citrus species
- Cork-tree, Phellodendron species
- Euodia, Tetradium species
- Salicaceae (Willow family)
- Aspen, Populus species
- Poplar, Populus species
- Willow, Salix species Willow
- Sapindaceae (including Aceraceae, Hippocastanaceae) (Soapberry family)
- Maple, Acer species
- Buckeye, Horse-chestnut, Aesculus species
- Mexican Buckeye, Ungnadia speciosa
- Lychee, Litchi sinensis
- Golden rain tree, Koelreuteria paniculata
- Sapotaceae (Sapodilla family)
- Gutta-percha, Palaquium species
- Tambalacoque, or "dodo tree", Sideroxylon grandiflorum, previously Calvaria major
- Simaroubaceae family
- Tree of heaven, Ailanthus species
- Theaceae (Camellia family)
- Gordonia, Gordonia species
- Stuartia, Stuartia species
- Thymelaeaceae (Thymelaea family)
- Ramin, Gonystylus species
- Ulmaceae (Elm family)
- Elm, Ulmus species
- Zelkova, Zelkova species
- Verbenaceae family
- Teak, Tectona species

Monocotyledons (Liliopsida)

Monocotyledon
- Agavaceae (Agave family)
- Cabbage tree, Cordyline australis
- Dragon tree, Dracaena draco
- Joshua tree, Yucca brevifolia
- Arecaceae (Palmae) (Palm family)
- Areca Nut, Areca catechu
- Coconut Cocos nucifera
- Date Palm, Phoenix dactylifera
- Chusan Palm, Trachycarpus fortunei
- Poaceae (grass family)
- Bamboos Poaceae subfamily Bambusoideae
- Note that banana 'trees' are not actually trees; they are not woody nor is the stalk perennial.

Conifers (Pinophyta; softwood trees)

- Araucariaceae (Araucaria family)
- Araucaria, Araucaria species
- Kauri, Agathis species
- Cupressaceae (Cypress family)
- Cypress, Cupressus species
- Cypress, Chamaecyparis species
- Juniper, Juniperus species
- Alerce or Patagonian cypress, Fitzroya cupressoides
- Sugi, Cryptomeria japonica
- Coast Redwood, Sequoia sempervirens
- Giant Sequoia, Sequoiadendron giganteum
- Dawn Redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides
- Bald Cypress, Taxodium distichum
- Pinaceae (Pine family)
- White pine, Pinus species
- Pinyon pine, Pinus species
- Pine, Pinus species
- Spruce, Picea species
- Larch, Larix species
- Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga species
- Fir, Abies species
- Cedar, Cedrus species
- Podocarpaceae (Yellowwood family)
- African Yellowwood, Afrocarpus falcatus
- Totara, Podocarpus totara
- Sciadopityaceae
- Kusamaki, Sciadopitys species
- Taxaceae (Yew family)
- Yew, Taxus species

Ginkgos (Ginkgophyta)

- Ginkgoaceae (Ginkgo family)
- Ginkgo, Ginkgo biloba

Cycads (Cycadophyta)

- Cycadaceae family
- Ngathu cycad, Cycas angulata
- Zamiaceae family
- Wunu cycad, Lepidozamia hopei

Ferns (Pterophyta)

- Cyatheaceae and Dicksoniaceae families
- Tree ferns, Cyathea, Alsophila, Dicksonia (not a monophyletic group)

Life stages

The life cycles of trees, especially conifers, are divided into the following stages in forestry for survey and documentation purposes: # Seed # Seedling: the above ground part of the embryo that sprout from the seed # Sapling: After the seedling reaches 1m tall, and until it reaches 7cm in stem diameter # Pole: young trees from 7-30cm diameter # Mature tree: over 30cm diameter, reproductive years begin # Old tree: dominate old growth forest; height growth slows greatly, with majority of productivity in seed production # Overmature: dieback and decay become common # Snag: standing dead wood # Log/debris: fallen dead wood Tree diameters are measured at height of between 1.3-1.5m above the highest point on the ground at its base. The 7cm diameter definition is economically based, from the smallest saleable stem size (for paper production, etc), and the 30cm diameter is the smallest base diameter for sawlogs. Each stage may be uniquely perceptive to different pathogens and suitable for especially adapted arboreal animals.

External links

- [http://www.globaltrees.org/default.asp GLOBAL TREES .org] Campaigning to save the world's most threatened trees
- [http://www.fssca.net/romero/ Romero Memorial Tree Project] Plant a tree in El Salvador

Bibliography

- Pakenham, T. (2002). Remarkable Trees of the World. ISBN 0297843001
- Pakenham, T. (1996). Meetings with Remarkable Trees. ISBN 0297832557 Category:Plants
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- Category:Botany Category: plant morphology ms:Pokok ja:木 simple:Tree th:ต้นไม้

Rosaceae

Rosoideae
Spiraeoideae
Maloideae
Amygdaloideae or Prunoideae The Rosaceae or rose family is a large family of plants, with about 3,000-4,000 species in 100-120 genera. Traditionally it has been divided into 4 subfamilies (Rosoideae, Spiraeoideae, Maloideae or Pomoideae, and Amygdaloideae or Prunoideae), primarily diagnosed by the structure of the fruits, but this has not been universally followed. Recent work has identified that the traditional four subfamilies are not all monophyletic, but the structure of the family is still awaiting complete resolution. Identified clades include:
- Subfamily Rosoideae: Traditionally composed of those genera bearing small fruits, each of which is an achene or drupelet, and often the fleshy part of the fruit (e.g. strawberry) is the hypanthium or the stalk bearing the carpels. The circumscription is now narrowed (excluding, for example, the tribe Dryadeae), but it still remains a diverse group containing 5 or 6 tribes and 20 or more genera. Rose, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, Potentilla, Geum.
- Subfamily Spiraeoideae: Traditionally those genera which bear non-fleshy fruits consisting of five capsules. Now perhaps to be restricted to Spiraea and Sorbaria and their respective allies.
- Subfamily Maloideae: Traditionally this includes the genera (apple, cotoneaster, hawthorn, pear, quince, rowan, whitebeam, etc), whose fruits consist of five capsules (called "cores") in a fleshy endocarp, surrounded by the ripened stem tissue. This structure is called a pome (after the French name for an apple, pomme). To these are added the woody genera Lindleya and Vauquelinia, which share a haploid chromosome count of 17 (x=17) with the pomiferous genera, Kageneckia, in which x=15, and the herbaceous genus Gillenia (x=9), which is the sibling to the remaining maloids.
- Subfamily Amygdaloideae (or Prunoideae): Traditionally those genera whose fruits consist of a single drupe with a seam, two veins next to the seam, and one vein opposite the seam. Now extended to include the five genera Exochorda, Maddenia, Oemleria, Prinsepia and Prunus (plum, peach, almond, cherry, apricot).
- Tribe Dryadeae: Fruits are achenes with hairy styles. Includes five genera (Dryas, Cercocarpus, Chamaebatia, Cowania and Purshia), most species of which form root nodules which host the nitrogen-fixing bacterium Frankia.
- Tribe Neillieae: Neillia (including Stephanandra) and Physocarpus. Amongst these groups Neillieae appears to be the sibling group to Maloideae, and Dryadeae may be the sibling group to Rosoideae. Other genera, for example Kerria, do not belong to any of these groups.

A tongue-in-cheek poem

::The rose is a rose
and was always a rose;
But the theory now goes
That the apple's a rose,
And the pear is, and so's
The plum, I suppose.
The dear only knows
What will next prove a rose.
You, my love, are a rose,
but were always a rose. :::- Robert Frost, "The Rose Family".

External link

- [http://www.life.uiuc.edu/plantbio/260/Rosaceae/Rosehome.html University of Illinois - Rosaceae] Category:Plant families Category:Rosaceae ko:장밋과 ja:バラ科

Peach

:This article is about the fruit. For other uses, see Peach (disambiguation) and Nectarine (disambiguation). Nectarine (disambiguation) The Peach (Prunus persica) is a tree native to China that bears a juicy fruit of the same name. It is a small deciduous tree growing to 5–10 m tall. The leaves are lanceolate, 7–15 cm long and 2–3 cm broad. The flowers are produced in early spring before the leaves; they are solitary or paired, 2.5–3 cm diameter, pink, with five petals. The fruit is a drupe, with a single large seed encased in hard wood (called the "stone" or "pit"), yellow or whitish flesh, a delicate aroma, and a velvety skin. Peaches, along with cherries, plums and apricots, are stone fruits (drupes). The scientific name persica derives from an early European belief that peaches were native to Persia (now Iran). The modern botanical consensus is that they originate in China, and were introduced to Persia and the Mediterranean region along the Silk Road in early historical times, probably by about 2000 BC (Huxley et al. 1992). Cultivated peaches are divided into "freestone" and "clingstone" cultivars, depending on whether the flesh sticks to the stone or not; both kinds can have either white or yellow flesh. Peaches with white flesh typically are very sweet with little acidity, while yellow-fleshed peaches typically have an acidic tang coupled with sweetness, though this also varies greatly. Both colours often have some red on their skin. Low-acid white-fleshed peaches are the most popular kinds in China, Japan, and neighbouring Asian countries, while Europeans and North Americans have historically favoured the acidic, yellow-fleshed kinds.

Nectarines

North America The nectarine is a Cultivar Group of peach that has a smooth, fuzzless skin. Though grocers treat fuzzy peaches and nectarines as different fruits, they belong to the same species. Nectarines have arisen many times from fuzzy peaches, often as bud sports. Nectarines can be white, yellow, clingstone, or freestone. Regular peach trees occasionally produce a few nectarines, and vice versa. Nectarines are more easily damaged than fuzzy peaches. The history of the nectarine is unclear; the first recorded mention is from 1616 in England, but they had probably been grown very much earlier in central Asia.

Cultivation

Peach trees grow very well in a fairly limited range, since they have a chilling requirement that subtropical areas cannot satisfy, and they are not very cold-hardy. The trees themselves can usually tolerate temperatures to around −26 °C to −30 °C, although the following season's flower buds are usually killed at these temperatures, leading to no crop that summer. Flower bud kill occurs at temperatures between −15 °C and −25 °C depending on the timing of the cold, with the buds becoming less cold tolerant in late winter [http://www.actahort.org/books/538/538_71.htm]. Certain cultivars are more tender and others can tolerate a few degrees more cold. In addition, a lot of summer heat is required to mature the crop, with mean temperatures of the hottest month between 20 °C and 30 °C. Important historical peach-producing areas are China, Japan, Iran, and the countries in the Mediterranean region, where they have been grown for thousands of years. More recently, the U.S. (California, South Carolina, Michigan, Georgia, Virginia), Canada (southern Ontario), and Australia (the Riverland region) have also become important. Oceanic climate areas like the Pacific Northwest and the British Isles are generally not satisfactory for peach growing due to inadequate summer heat, though they are sometimes grown trained against south-facing walls to catch extra heat from the sun. Most peach trees sold by nurseries are grafted cultivars. The trees are prone to a disease called leaf curl, which usually does not directly affect the fruit but does reduce the crop yield by partially defoliating the tree. The fruit is very susceptible to brown rot.

Planting

brown rot Peaches should be located in full sun, and with good air flow. This allows cold air to flow away on frosty nights and keeps the area cool in summer. Peaches are best planted in early winter, as this allows time for the roots to establish and be able to sustain the new spring growth. When planting in rows, plant north-south. ;Watering Peaches should maintain a constant supply of water. This should be increased shortly before the harvest. Best tasting fruit is produced when the peach is watered throughout the season. Drip irrigation is ideal, at least one dripper per tree. Although it is better to use multiple drippers around the tree, this is not necessary. A quarter of the root being watered is sufficient. ;Fertilising Peaches have a high nutrient requirement, needing more nitrogen than most other fruit trees. An NPK fertiliser can be applied regularly, and an additional mulch of poultry manure in autumn soon after the harvest will benefit the tree. If the leaves of the peach are yellow or small, the tree needs more nitrogen. Blood and bone meal, 3–5 kg per mature tree, or calcium ammonium nitrate, 0.5–1 kg, are suitable fertilisers. This also applies if the tree is putting forth little growth. ;Tips for good fruit bone If the full amount of peaches is left, they will be undersized and lacking in sugar and flavour. In dry conditions, extra watering is important. The fruit should be thinned when they have reached 2 cm in diameter, usually about 2 months after flowering. Fresh fruit are best consumed in the day of picking, and do not keep well. They are best eaten when the fruit is slightly soft, having aroma, and heated by the sun.

Peaches in Asian tradition

bone Peaches are known in China and Japan not only as a popular fruit but for the many folktales and traditions associated with it. Momotaro, one of Japan's most noble and semi-historical heroes, was born from within an enormous peach floating down a stream. Momotaro or "Peach Boy" went on to fight evil oni and face many adventures. In China, the peach was said to be consumed by the immortals due to its mystic virtue of conferring longevity on all who ate them. The divinity Yu Huang, also called the Jade Emperor, had a wife named Xi Wangmu also known as Queen Mother of the West. Xi Wangmu ensured the gods' everlasting existence by feeding them the peaches of immortality. The immortals residing in the palace of Xi Wangmu were said to celebrate an extravagant banquet called the Pantao Hui or "The Feast of Peaches". The immortals waited six thousand years before gathering for this magnificent feast; the peach tree put forth leaves once every thousand years and it required another three thousand years for the fruit to ripen. Ivory statues depicting Xi Wangmu's attendants often held three peaches. Xi Wangmu The peach often plays an important part in Chinese tradition and are symbolic of long life. One example is in the peach-gathering story of Zhang Daoling, who many say is the true founder of Taoism. Elder Zhang Guo, one of the Chinese Eight Immortals, is often depicted carrying a Peach of Immortality. Due to its luscious taste and feeling at touch, in ancient China "peach" was also a slang word for "young bride", and it has remained in many cultures as a way to define pretty young women (as in English, with peachy or peachy keen).

Trivia

- The peach is the state flower of Delaware and the state fruit of South Carolina. Georgia is known as the Peach State.
- Though Cosmo Kramer, a character on Seinfeld, eats a Mackinaw peach, no such variety exists.

References and external links

- Huxley, A. et al. (eds.) 1992. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan.
- [http://www.kallipolis.com/diet/food.php?id=9236&w=3 Peach nutrition information]
- [http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/freeze/peach.html National Center for Home Food Preservation - Freezing Peaches] Category:Rosaceae Category:Fruit ja:モモ simple:Peach

Prunus

Prunus alabamensis
Prunus alleghaniensis
Prunus americana
Prunus andersonii
Prunus angustifolia
Prunus armeniaca
Prunus avium
Prunus caroliniana
Prunus cerasifera
Prunus cerasus
Prunus domestica
Prunus dulcis
Prunus emarginata
Prunus fasciculata
Prunus fremontii
Prunus fruticosa
Prunus geniculata
Prunus glandulosa
Prunus gracilis
Prunus grayana
Prunus havardii
Prunus hortulana
Prunus ilicifolia
Prunus japonica
Prunus laurocerasus
Prunus lusitanica
Prunus maackii
Prunus mahaleb
Prunus maritima
Prunus mexicana
Prunus minutiflora
Prunus mume
Prunus munsoniana
Prunus murrayana
Prunus myrtifolia
Prunus nigra
Prunus occidentalis
Prunus padus
Prunus pensylvanica
Prunus persica
Prunus pleuradenia
Prunus pumula
Prunus rivularis
Prunus salicina
Prunus serotina
Prunus serrulata
Prunus spinosa
Prunus subcordata
Prunus subhirtella
Prunus tenella
Prunus texana
Prunus tomentosa
Prunus triloba
Prunus umbellata
Prunus virginiana Prunus is a genus of trees and shrubs, including the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. It is traditionally placed within the rose family Rosaceae as a subfamily, the Prunoideae (or Amygdaloideae), but sometimes placed in its own family, the Prunaceae (or Amygdalaceae). There are several hundred species of Prunus, spread throughout the northern temperate regions of the globe. The flowers are usually white to pink, with five petals and five sepals. They are borne singly, or in umbels of two to six or more on racemes. The fruit of all Prunus species is a drupe with a relatively large "stone". Leaves are simple and usually lanceolate, unlobed and toothed along the margin.

Classification

Some treatments break the genus up into several different genera, but this segregation is not widely recognised other than at the subgeneric rank. ITIS recognises just the single Genus Prunus, with the list of species as shown in the box on the right.
- Prunus subgenera:
- Subgenus Amygdalus: almonds and peaches. Axillary buds in threes (vegetative bud central, two flower buds to sides). Flowers in early spring, sessile or nearly so, not on leafed shoots. Fruit with a groove along one side; stone deeply grooved. Type species Prunus dulcis (Almond).
- Subgenus Prunus: plums and apricots. Axillary buds solitary. Flowers in early spring stalked, not on leafed shoots. Fruit with a groove along one side; stone rough. Type species Prunus domestica (Plum).
- Subgenus Cerasus: cherries. Axillary buds single. Flowers in early spring in corymbs, long-stalked, not on leafed shoots. Fruit not grooved; stone smooth. Type species Prunus cerasus (Sour cherry).
- Subgenus Lithocerasus: dwarf cherries. Axillary buds in threes. Flowers in early spring in corymbs, long-stalked, not on leafed shoots. Fruit not grooved; stone smooth. Type species Prunus pumila (Sand cherry).
- Subgenus Padus: bird cherries. Axillary buds single. Flowers in late spring in racemes on leafy shoots, short-stalked. Fruit not grooved; stone smooth. Type species Prunus padus (European bird cherry).
- Subgenus Laurocerasus: cherry-laurels. Axillary buds single. Flowers in early spring in racemes, not on leafed shoots, short-stalked. Fruit not grooved; stone smooth. Mostly evergreen (all the other subgenera are deciduous). Type species Prunus laurocerasus (European cherry-laurel).

Uses

The genus Prunus includes the almond, apricot, cherry, peach and plum, all of which have cultivars developed for commercial fruit production. The edible part of the almond is the seed; the almond fruit is a drupe and not a "nut". There are also a number of species, hybrids, and cultivars grown strictly as ornamental plants, usually for their profusion of flowers, occasionally for leaves and bark. These ornamentals include the group that may be collectively called flowering cherries. Because of their considerable value as both food and ornamental plants, many Prunus species have been introduced to parts of the world to which they are not native. Many of the Old World species are grown for ornament or fruit, and have been planted throughout the world; and some have become naturalised beyond their native range. Prunus species are used as food plants for the larvae of a large number of Lepidoptera species - see list of Lepidoptera which feed on Prunus.

Selected species by continent

Note: these lists are probably incomplete.

Old World:

- Prunus armeniaca - Apricot. Central Asia to China.
- Prunus avium - Wild Cherry, also called the Gean, Mazzard, or Sweet Cherry, and the parent of most of the edible cherries. Europe to West Asia.
- Prunus brigantina - Briançon Apricot. Southeast France.
- Prunus campanulata - Bell-flowered Cherry. Southern China, Taiwan.
- Prunus canescens - Greyleaf Cherry. China.
- Prunus cantabridgensis - Cambridge Cherry. Unknown origin, probably east Asia, possibly hybrid.
- Prunus cerasus - Morello Cherry or Sour Cherry. Europe and southwest Asia.
- Prunus cerasifera - Myrobalan Plum or Cherry Plum. Southeast Europe and southwest Asia.
- Prunus cocomilia - Naples Plum. Southeast Europe (Italy, Balkans).
- Prunus cornuta - Himalayan Bird Cherry. Himalaya.
- Prunus dasycarpa - Black Apricot. Probably a hybrid P. armeniaca x P. cerasifera.
- Prunus davidiana - David's Peach. - China.
- Prunus domestica - Plum and Damson. Believed to be a hybrid, probably from West Asia and the Caucasus.
- Prunus dulcis - Almond. Southeast Europe, southwest Asia.
- Prunus fruticosa - Ground Cherry. Northeastern Europe, northern Asia.
- Prunus grayana - Gray's Bird Cherry. Japan.
- Prunus incana - Willow Cherry. Asia Minor, Caucasus.
- Prunus incisa - Fuji Cherry. Japan.
- Prunus jacquemontii - Afghan Cherry. Northwest Himalaya in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
- Prunus laurocerasus - Cherry Laurel, of the Balkans and West Asia.
- Prunus lusitanica - Portugal Laurel. From Iberia.
- Prunus maackii - Manchurian Cherry. Northeast Asia.
- Prunus mahaleb - St Lucie Cherry, or Mahaleb Cherry. Europe.
- Prunus mume - Ume, aka Japanese apricot. China and Japan.
- Prunus nipponica - Japanese Alpine Cherry. Japan.
- Prunus padus - Bird Cherry. Northern Eurasia.
- Prunus persica - Peach, origin uncertain, probably West Asia.
- Prunus prostrata - Mountain Cherry. Mediterranean region.
- Prunus salicina - Japanese Plum. Japan, China.
- Prunus sargentii - Sargent's Cherry. Northern Japan.
- Prunus serrula - Tibetan Cherry. Western China to central Asia.
- Prunus serrulata - Japanese Cherry (Sakura). Eastern Asia.Sakura
- Prunus sibirica - Siberian Apricot. Northeastern Asia.
- Prunus simonii - Apricot Plum. Northern China.
- Prunus speciosa - Oshima Cherry. Oshima & Izu Islands of Japan.
- Prunus spinosa - Blackthorn or Sloe. Europe, North Africa, West Asia.
- Prunus subhirtella - origin uncertain, but probably East Asia.
- Prunus tenella - Dwarf Russian Almond. Black Sea area.
- Prunus tomentosa - Downy Cherry. Southwestern China, Himalaya.
- Prunus yedoensis - Yoshino Cherry. Japan, probably of cultivated hybrid origin.

North America:

- Prunus allegheniensis - Allegheny Plum. In the Appalachian belt.
- Prunus americana - American Plum. Most of the U.S. east of the Great Plains and southernmost Canada.
- Prunus angustifolia - Chickasaw Plum. Southeast U.S.
- Prunus besseyi - Rocky Mountain Cherry. Great Plains & eastern Rocky Mts.
- Prunus caroliniana - Carolina Cherry Laurel. Southeast U.S.
- Prunus emarginata - Bitter Cherry. British Columbia to Oregon.
- Prunus hortulana - Hortulan Plum. Mostly Missouri and Illinois and surrounding areas.
- Prunus ilicifolia. Hollyleaf Cherry. California.
- Prunus maritima - Beach Plum. Northeast Atlantic coast.
- Prunus mexicana - Bigtree Plum. Southeast Great Plains.
- Prunus munsoniana - Wild-goose Plum. Mostly Missouri and eastern Kansas and surrounding areas.
- Prunus nigra - Canada Plum. Southeasternmost Canada west to Manitoba and northeasternmost U.S.
- Prunus pensylvanica - Pin Cherry. Southern half of Canada and northernmost U.S.
- Prunus pumila - Sand cherry. Southeast and south-central Canada and northern U.S. west to Wyoming.
- Prunus serotina - Black Cherry. Southeasternmost Canada and most of U.S. east of Great Plains, also found in Arizona and Guatemala.
- Prunus subcordata - Oregon Plum. Oregon, California.
- Prunus virginiana - Chokecherry. Southern Canada and most of eastern U.S. except for deep south.

External links

- [http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?9887 Partial Prunus species listing]: by National Genetics Resources Program Prunus Category:Rosaceae ko:벚나무속 ja:サクラ属

Plum

:"Plum" is also a nickname for British humorist P.G. Wodehouse. See text A plum is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera (peaches, cherries, bird cherries, etc) in the shoots having a terminal bud and the side buds solitary (not clustered), the flowers being grouped 1-5 together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one side, and a smooth stone. The subgenus is divided into three sections:
- Sect. Prunus (Old World plums). Leaves in bud rolled inwards; flowers 1-3 together; fruit smooth, often wax-bloomed. Species: P. cerasifera, P. cocomilia, P. consociiflora, P. domestica, P. salicina, P. simonii, P. spinosa.
- Sect. Prunocerasus (New World plums). Leaves in bud folded inwards; flowers 3-5 together; fruit smooth, often wax-bloomed. Species: P. alleghaniensis, P. americana, P. angustifolia, P. hortulana, P. maritima, P. mexicana, P. nigra, P. orthosepala, P. subcordata.
- Sect. Armeniaca (Apricots). Leaves in bud rolled inwards; flowers very short-stalked; fruit velvety. Treated as a distinct subgenus by some authors. Species: P. armeniaca, P. brigantina, P. mume, P. sibirica.

Cultivation and uses

Plum fruit is sweet, juicy and edible, and it can be eaten fresh or used in jam-making or other recipes. Plum juice can be fermented into plum wine; when distilled, this produces a brandy known in Eastern Europe as Slivovitz. Dried plums are known as prunes. Prunes are sweet and juicy, and they have a very high dietary fiber content, so prune juice is often used to help regulate the functioning of the digestive system. It also contains several antioxidants that may slow aging. Prune marketers in the United States have, in recent years, begun marketing their product as "dried plums", because "prunes" has negative connotations of being unappetizing, and suitable only for the elderly. Prune kernel oil is made from the fleshy inner part of the pit of the plum. Plums come in a wide variety of colours and sizes. Some are much firmer-fleshed than others and some have yellow, white, green or red flesh, with equally varying skin colour. Plum cultivars in use today include:
- Damson, or Damask Plum
- Greengage, or greengage plum (firm, green flesh and skin even when ripe)
- Mirabelle (a dark yellow plum predominantely grown in France)
- Satsuma plum (firm red flesh with a red skin)
- Golden or yellowgage plum (like the greengage, but yellow) When it flowers in the early spring, a plum tree will be covered in blossom, and in a good year approximately 50% of the flowers will be pollinated and become plums. Flowering starts after 80 growing degree days. growing degree day If the weather is too dry the plums will not develop past a certain stage, but will fall from the tree while still tiny green buds, and if it is unseasonably wet or if the plums are not harvested as soon as they are ripe, the fruit may develop a fungal condition called brown rot. Brown rot is not toxic, and very small affected areas can be cut out of the fruit, but unless the rot is caught immediately the fruit will no longer be edible. Plum is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera including November Moth, Willow Beauty and Short-cloaked Moth. The plum blossom, along with the peony, are considered traditional floral emblems of China. In June 21, 1964, the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China officially designated the plum blossom to be its national flower, with the triple grouping of stamens (one long and two short) representing the Three Principles of the People and the five petals symbolizing the five branches of the ROC government [http://www.mofa.gov.tw/webapp/np.asp?ctNode=446]. The designation, repeats a previous statement by the ROC government in 1929 [http://www.china.org.cn/english/environment/64698.htm]. In Taiwan the plum has been increasingly used as the national emblem of the Republic of China, just as the 12-ray sun originated from the Kuomintang party flag. Plum bloosom is also the floral symbol of the ancient Chinese city Nanjing, which served as the former capital (and remained designated as the official capital) of the Republic of China. Image:Prunusdmoestica01.jpg|Prunus domestica - plum and leaves Image:PlumBlossom.JPG|Plum blossom Image:Plum2web.jpg|Plum (variety Tucker) - watercolor 1894 Image:Plum1web.jpg|Plum (variety Pacific Prune) - watercolor 1893 Image:Plums.jpg|Plums Image:Plum flowers.jpg|Plum Flowers Image:Plum blossoming.jpg Image:Plum blossoms.jpg

External links

- [http://www.kallipolis.com/diet/food.php?id=9279&w=2 Plum nutrition information]
- [http://www.kallipolis.com/diet/food.php?id=9291&w=2 Prune nutrition information] Category:Rosaceae Category:Fruit simple:Plum

Cherry

:For the German keyboard and switch manufacturer, see Cherry Corporation. Several, including:
Prunus apetala
Prunus avium
Prunus campanulata
Prunus canescens
Prunus cerasus
Prunus concinna
Prunus conradinae
Prunus dielsiana
Prunus emarginata
Prunus fruticosa
Prunus incisa
Prunus litigiosa
Prunus mahaleb
Prunus maximowiczii
Prunus nipponica
Prunus pensylvanica
Prunus pilosiuscula
Prunus rufa
Prunus sargentii
Prunus serrula
Prunus serrulata
Prunus speciosa
Prunus subhirtella
Prunus tomentosa A cherry (originally "cherise" reinterpreted as a plural, from the Old French word, in turn from Latin cerasum) is both a tree and its fleshy fruit, a type known as a drupe with a single hard stone enclosing the seed. The cherry belongs to the family Rosaceae, genus Prunus (along with almonds, peaches, plums, apricots and bird cherries). The cherries belong in subgenus Cerasus, distinguished from the rest of the genus by having the flowers in small corymbs of several together (not singly, nor in racemes), and in the fruit being smooth and not having a groove along one side. The subgenus is native to the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with two species in North America, three in Europe, and the remainder in Asia.

Cultivation and uses

The cherries selected for eating are derived from just two species, the Wild Cherry (P. avium), which has given rise to the Sweet Cherry to which most cherry cultivars belong, and the Morello Cherry or Sour Cherry (P. cerasus), used mainly for cooking and jam making. Both species originate in Europe and western Asia. The other species, although having edible fruit, are not grown extensively for consumption. Major commercial cherry orchards in Europe extend from the Iberian peninsula east to Asia Minor; they are also grown to a smaller extent north to the British Isles and southern Scandinavia. In the United States, most sweet cherries are grown in the west. California and Washington supply mainly sweet cherries intended for fresh use. Major sweet cherry cultivars include the 'Bing', 'Brooks', 'Tulare', 'King', and 'Rainier'. Oregon and Michigan provide light-coloured 'Royal Ann' ('Napoleon') cherries for the maraschino cherry process. Most sour cherries are grown in four states bordering the Great Lakes, in Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Cherries have a very short fruiting season. In Australia, they are usually at their peak around Christmas time, in southern Europe in June, and in the UK in mid July. Annual world production (as of 2003) of cherries is about 3 million tonnes, of which a third are sour cherries. As well as the fruit, cherries also have attractive flowers, and they are commonly planted for their flower display in spring; several of the Asian cherries are particularly noted for their flower display. Many flowering cherry cultivars (known as 'ornamental cherries') have the stamens replaced by additional petals ("double" flowers), so are sterile and do not bear fruit. They are grown purely for their flowers and decorative value. The Japanese sakura in particular are a national symbol celebrated in the yearly Hanami festival. Cherry flowers are sometimes eaten by the larva of the Green Pug moth and the leaves by the larva of other Lepidoptera including Coxcomb Prominent and Yellow-tail.

Drupe

In botany, a drupe is a type of fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp or skin and mesocarp or flesh) surrounds a shell (the pit or stone) of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries. The definitive characteristic of a drupe is that the hard, lignified stone (or pit) derives from the ovary wall of the flower. Other fleshy fruits may have a stony enclosure that comes from the seed coat surrounding the seed. These fruits are not drupes. Some flowering plants which produce drupes are:
- coffee
- jujube
- mango
- olive
- all members of the genus Prunus, including the almond (in which the mesocarp is somewhat leathery), apricot, cherry, peach, nectarine, and plum. The term stone fruit can be a synonym for "drupe" or, more typically, it can mean just the fruit of the Prunus species. Drupes, with their sweet, fleshy outer layer, attract the attention of animals as a food, and the plant population benefits from the resulting dispersal of its seeds. The endocarp (pit or stone) is often swallowed, passing through the digestive tract, and returned to the soil in feces with the seed inside unharmed; sometimes it is dropped after the fleshy part is eaten. The coconut is also a drupe, but the mesocarp is fibrous or dry (in this case, called a husk), so this type of fruit is classified as a simple dry fruit, fibrous drupe. Unlike other drupes, the coconut seed is unlikely to be dispersed by being swallowed by fauna, due to its large size. fauna fauna In an aggregate fruit composed of individual small drupes, each individual is termed a drupelet. Bramble fruits (such as the blackberry or the raspberry) are aggregates of drupelets. types01 drupe Drupe Category: plant morphology ja:核果

Asia

Asia is the central and eastern part of Eurasia, and the world's largest continent. Defined by subtracting Europe from Eurasia, Asia is either regarded as a landmass of its own, or as part of Eurasia. The demarcation between Asia and Africa is the isthmus of Suez (although the Sinai Peninsula, being a part of Egypt east of the canal, is often geopolitically considered a part of Africa). The boundary between Asia and Europe runs via the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, to the Black Sea, the Caucasus Mountains, the Caspian Sea, the Ural River to its source, and the Ural Mountains to the Kara Sea at Kara, Russia. About 60 percent of the world's human population lives in Asia. Asia as a political division consists of the eastern part of Eurasia and nearby islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, often excluding Russia. Pacific Ocean

Etymology

The word Asia entered English, via Latin, from Ancient Greek Ασία (Asia; see also List of traditional Greek place names). This name is first attested in Herodotus (c. 440 BC), where it refers to Asia Minor; or, for the purposes of describing the Persian Wars, to the Persian Empire, as opposed to Greece and Egypt. Even before Herodotus, Homer knew of a Trojan ally named Asios, son of Hyrtacus, a ruler over several towns, and elsewhere he describes a marsh as ασιος (Iliad 2, 461). The Greek term may be derived from from Assuwa, a 14th century BC confederation of states in Western Anatolia. Hittite assu- "good" is probably an element in that name. Alternatively, the ultimate etymology of the term may be from the Akkadian word (w)aṣû(m), cognate of Hebrew יצא, which means "to go out", referring to the direction of the sun at sunset in the Middle East. This may be compared to a similar etymology proposed for Europe, as being from Semitic erēbu "to enter" or "set" (of the sun). These etymologies presuppose an originally Mesopotamian or Middle Eastern perspective, which would explain how the term "Asia" first came to be associated with Anatolia as lying west of the Semitic speaking area.

Geographical Regions

See also Geography of Asia. As already mentioned, Asia is a subregion of Eurasia. For further subdivisions based on that term, see North Eurasia and Central Eurasia. Some Asian countries stretch beyond Asia. See Bicontinental country for details about the borderline cases between Asia and Europe, Asia and Africa and Asia and Oceania. Asia itself is often divided in the following subregions:
- North Asia
- Central Asia
- East Asia (or Far East)
- Southeast Asia
- South Asia (or Indian Subcontinent)
- Southwest Asia (or West Asia)

North Asia

This term is rarely used by geographers, but usually it refers to the bigger Asian part of Russia, also known as Siberia. Sometimes the northern parts of other Asian nations, such as Kazakhstan are also included in Northern Asia.

Central Asia

There is no absolute consensus in the usage of this term. Usually, Central Asia includes:
- the Central Asian Republics of Kazakhstan (excluding its small European territory), Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan.
- Afghanistan, Mongolia, and the western regions of China are also sometimes included.
- Former Soviet states in the Caucasus region. Central Asia is currently geopolitically important because international disputes and conflicts over oil pipelines, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Chechnya, as well as the presence of U.S. military forces in Afghanistan.

East Asia (or Far East)

This area includes:
- The Pacific Ocean islands of Taiwan and Japan.
- North and South Korea on the Korean Peninsula.
- China, but sometimes only the eastern regions Sometimes the nations of Mongolia and Vietnam are also included in East Asia. More informally, Southeast Asia is included in East Asia on some occasions.

Southeast Asia

This region contains the Malay Peninsula, Indochina and islands in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. The countries it contains are:
- In mainland Southeast Asia, the countries Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
- In Maritime Southeast Asia, the countries of Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia (some of the Indonesian islands also lie in the Melanesia region of Oceania). East Timor (also Melanesian) is sometimes included too. The country of Malaysia is divided in two by the South China Sea, and thus has both a mainland and island part.

South Asia (or Indian Subcontinent)

South Asia is also referred to as the Indian Subcontinent. It includes:
- the Himalayan States of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
- the Indian Ocean nations of Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Southwest Asia (or West Asia)

This can also be called by the Western term Middle East, which is commonly used by Europeans and Americans. Middle East (to some interpretations) is often used to also refer to some countries in North Africa. Southwest Asia can be further divided into:
- Anatolia (i.e. Asia Minor), constituting the Asian part of Turkey.
- The island nation of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea.
- The Levant or Near East, which includes Syria, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and the Asian portion of Egypt.
- The Arabian peninsula, including Saud