Prunus arabica is a species of wild almond found across the Middle East. It is a broomlike shrub typically 0.75 to 2 m tall, with brown bark. Its leaves have a 5-8 mm petiole and the leaf blades are 15 to 44 mm long and 3 to 10 mm wide. Its inflorescences have dark red hypanthia and sepals (green on the interior of the sepals), and white, pale pink or pink petals. The flowers are borne on a pedicel about 3 mm long, which lengthens to 6 mm when the fruit is fully developed.[3]

Prunus arabica
Prunus arabica in Bazoft, Iran
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Rosaceae
Genus:	Prunus
Subgenus:	Prunus subg. Amygdalus
Section:	Prunus sect. Amygdalus
Species:	P. arabica
Binomial name
Prunus arabica (Olivier) Meikle[1]
Synonyms
Amygdalus arabica Olivier[2] Amygdalus arabica var. pubipetala V.Denisov & S.Serafimov Amygdalus spartioides Spach Prunus spartioides (Spach) C.K.Schneid. Amygdalus agrestis (Boiss.) Yazbek Prunus agrestis (Jord. & Fourr.) Yazbek Amygdalus glauca Browicz Prunus glauca (Browicz) A. E. Murray

It prefers to grow in arid or semiarid areas at 500 to 2700 m above sea level. A full genetic and morphological analysis suggests that Prunus scoparia may be conspecific with it; certainly it is its closest relative.[3] It is occasionally cultivated for erosion control, as its brushy growth form makes a good windbreak.[4][5]

References

External links

• "Prunus arabica". Plants for a Future.