Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A genus of rosaceous trees, the type of the tribe Pruneæ.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Bot.) A genus of trees with perigynous rosaceous flowers, and a single two-ovuled carpel which usually becomes a drupe in ripening.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun A taxonomic genus within the subfamily Prunoideae — the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a genus of shrubs and trees of the family Rosaceae that is widely distributed in temperate regions

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin prūnus ("plum tree")

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Examples

  • They were transported along the Silk Road to Persia, where they flourished so marvellously they came to be regarded as a Persian fruit, hence their Latin name Prunus persica.

    Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's peach recipes 2010

  • There is a representative liana layer that includes Lonicera periclymenum subsp. hispanica, Smilax aspera subsp. mauretanica, Rubia peregrina var. longifolia, Hedera helix, H. algeriensis, and a number of Tertiary relicts, such as Prunus lusitanica.

    Mediterranean conifer and mixed forests 2007

  • They're not as big or as plentiful as some people's crabapples, but we finally know what a couple of the nebulous "Prunus" trees are we have growing in the backyard.

    grouse Diary Entry grouse 2004

  • This knowledge base offers opportunities not only for conservation but also for the commercialization of wild resources, as demonstrated, for example, by the increasing markets for non-timber forest products (NTFPs), such as Prunus africana, Harpagophytum procumbens (devil’s claw) and Kigelia africana (African sausage tree).

    Environmental change and socioeconomic factors in Africa 2008

  • Drifts of cherry blossom whirled on the pavements as I made my way towards my favourite Prunus avium "Plena", which overhangs the railings of Kennington Park.

    London's fragrant front gardens 2010

  • The title of the post was inspired by the sight that greeted us upon our return, the Yoshino cherry tree, Prunus yedoensis in full bloom.

    Cherry Mash-Mish Monday « Fairegarden 2010

  • Your ‘Diane’ has been blooming for about as long as my Prunus mume, which has been blooming for 3 1/2 months now.

    March Bloom Day 2010 « Fairegarden 2010

  • Five species of tree characterize the forested montane zone: Nuxia congesta, Podocarpus latifolius, Prunus africana, Rapanea melanophloeos, and Syzygium guineense bamendae, and these trees become increasingly covered with an epiphytic flora, especially orchids and mosses, at higher altitudes.

    Cameroonian Highlands forests 2009

  • Dominants often include Liriodendron tulipifera, Halesia carolina, Acer saccharum, Aesculus octandra and Prunus serotina.

    Great Smoky Mountains National Park, United States 2009

  • Below 2,400 m, the vegetation is mixed broad-leaf forest of Symphonia globulifera, Prunus africana, Albizia and Podocarpus spp. with few large trees and a broken canopy except in valley-bottoms and flat ridge crests.

    Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Uganda 2009

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