apricot

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• apricot
• Siberian Apricot
• Tibetan Apricot
• ansu Apricot
• Common Apricot

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Prunus armeniaca subsp. vulgaris
• Amygdalus armeniaca
• Armeniaca vulgaris

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is organized under the order Rosales and the family Rosaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic placement is within the genus Prunus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution across several European regions. In Middle Europe, it can be found growing in countries such as Germany and Hungary. Its presence extends into Southwestern Europe, where it is located in France and Portugal. Additionally, the species is documented on the island of Corse. These locations highlight the wide range of environments where the plant thrives.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Prunus armeniaca is characterized by a broad adaptability to diverse altitudinal gradients, ranging from lowland areas up to high-altitude environments. It is commonly found in habitats starting at a minimum elevation of 100 m AMSL, with a mean elevational range centered around 2000 m AMSL. The species demonstrates significant resilience to varying topographic conditions, reaching its maximum elevational limit at 3300 m AMSL.

Elevational range max:

3300 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

2000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

100 m AMSL

Habitat :

Lowland

Life history

The life history of Prunus armeniaca is characterized by its nature as a perennial species, ensuring its long-term presence within its ecological niche. As a phanerophyte, specifically classified under both phanerophyte and nanophanerophyte growth forms, the plant maintains its photosynthetic organs on woody structures elevated above the ground. Its physiological rhythm is defined by a deciduous habit, meaning it sheds its foliage annually in response to seasonal changes, typically entering a period of dormancy to survive colder periods. This combination of a long-lived perennial lifecycle and a deciduous phanerophyte life form allows the plant to thrive through cyclical environmental shifts.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Prunus armeniaca is characterized by a woody growth form, specifically categorized as a tree. It is a self-supporting, terrestrial plant that functions independently, showing no parasitic or epiphytic behavior. In terms of stature, the plant exhibits significant vertical development, with heights ranging from a minimum of 2 m to a maximum of 8 m, resulting in an average plant height of approximately 4.83 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

tree

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

8 m

Plant height mean:

4.83333333333333 m

Plant height min:

2 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Prunus armeniaca is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, a common metabolic strategy among temperate woody species that involves the direct fixation of carbon dioxide via the enzyme Rubisco. The plant's vegetative efficiency is closely tied to its foliar morphology, where leaf dimensions play a critical role in light interception and gas exchange. The leaves exhibit significant morphological variability, with a mean leaf length of 6 cm and a mean width of approximately 4.67 cm. These dimensions fluctuate according to environmental conditions and developmental stages, ranging from a minimum leaf length of 3 cm up to a maximum of 10 cm, and a minimum leaf width of 3 cm reaching a maximum of 8 cm. This range in leaf surface area facilitates the regulation of transpiration and photosynthetic capacity, supporting the plant's overall metabolic requirements.

Leaf length max:

10 cm

Leaf length mean:

6 cm

Leaf length min:

3 cm

Leaf width max:

8 cm

Leaf width mean:

4.66666666666667 cm

Leaf width min:

3 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Prunus armeniaca is characterized by a biotic pollination process, primarily driven by insect pollination syndromes. The flowering period typically begins in March and concludes in April, with individual flowers measuring between 2 cm and 3 cm in length. Following successful pollination, the plant produces a fleshy, indehiscent fruit categorized as a drupe. These fruits vary in size, with an average length of 2.5 cm (ranging from 2 cm to 3 cm) and an average width of 2.5 cm (ranging from 2 cm to 3 cm). The dispersal of the plant is zoochorous, relying on animals for seed distribution. Within the fruit, the seeds possess a mean mass of approximately 1.1965 g, with individual seed masses ranging from a minimum of 1 g to a maximum of 1.485 g. Additionally, the seeds maintain a consistent volume of 1400 mm³. Asexual reproduction is noted to be absent in this species, meaning it relies entirely on sexual reproduction for propagation.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Flower length max:

3 cm

Flower length min:

2 cm

Flowering time :

Mar

Flowering time :

Apr

Fruit dryness :

fleshy

Fruit length max:

3 cm

Fruit length mean:

2.5 cm

Fruit length min:

2 cm

Fruit type :

drupe

Fruit width max:

3 cm

Fruit width mean:

2.5 cm

Fruit width min:

2 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Seed mass max:

1.485 g

Seed mass mean:

1.1965 g

Seed mass min:

1 g

Seed volume max:

1400 mm³

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Prunus armeniaca has 1 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include root.

Root

1. Fitoterapia
2. Journal of natural products

Chemicals

Prunus armeniaca has 144 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include amygdalin, CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, POTASSIUM, Flavonoid.

amygdalin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry
3. International journal of hematology-oncology and stem cell research
4. Journal of natural medicines
5. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR

CALCIUM

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports
3. Food science & nutrition

MAGNESIUM

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports
3. Food science & nutrition

POTASSIUM

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports
3. Food science & nutrition

Flavonoid

1. Journal of food science
2. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

Flavonoids

1. Frontiers in plant science
2. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

IRON

1. Dr. Duke
2. Food science & nutrition

RUTIN

1. Dr. Duke
2. Cancers

SODIUM

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports

ZINC

1. Dr. Duke
2. Food science & nutrition

Activities

Prunus armeniaca has 703 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Analgesic, AntiBPH, Antibacterial, Antipyretic.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports
3. Heliyon

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke
2. International journal of hematology-oncology and stem cell research

AntiBPH

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports

Antipyretic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antiseptic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Apoptotic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of food science

Cytotoxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of food science

Neuroprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research : IJPR

11B-HSD-Inhibitor

1. Dr. Duke

Medicinal Uses

Prunus armeniaca has 22 reported medicinal uses identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include antioxidant, Diabetes mellitus, alcoholic liver disease, antihyperlipidemic, antihypertensive.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations