Apricot
Prunus armeniaca
Order - Rosales
Family - Drupoideae or Amygdalaceae or Rosaceae
Names:
Apricot
Prunus
Armeniaca
Other Names:
Summary:
A small, deciduous tree bearing orange, stone fruit about the size of a golf ball.
Description:
Cotyledons:
Two.
First leaves:
Leaves:
Alternate.
Stipules -
Petiole - Yes.
Blade - Leathery, flat, egg shaped with a tapering tip. Double toothed edges.
Stem leaves -
Stems:
Erect, stout, to 8000 mm tall with branches spreading to 2000 mm wide with a rounded untidy crown. Reddish brown bark.
Flower stem -
Flower head:
Flowers born singly or in pairs on stalks.
Flowers:
White or pink.
Ovary -
Calyx -
Perianth -
Sepals -
Petals - 5, egg shaped, white or pink.
Stamens -
Anthers -
Fruit:
Orange to yellow, velvety, round to oval, fruit with sweet flesh surrounding a hard stone that encloses the seed.
Seeds:
Enclosed in the stone.
Roots:
Usually gown on a rootstock.
Key Characters:
Biology:
Life cycle:
Deciduous perennial tree.
Physiology:
Drought sensitive
Frost sensitive especially in winter and spring.
Moderately low chilling requirement.
Reproduction:
Self pollinating.
Flowering times:
Seed Biology and Germination:
Vegetative Propagules:
Hybrids:
Allelopathy:
Population Dynamics and Dispersal:
Spread by seed or grafted stock.
Origin and History:
Southern China. Western China.
Distribution:
ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA.
Habitats:
Climate:
Temperate. Mediterranean.
Prefers areas with winter rainfall and dry springs and summers.
Annual rainfall areas of more than 510 mm with irrigation or more than 760 mm for dry land production.
Soil:
Prefers sandy to loamy well drained soils
Plant Associations:
Significance:
Beneficial:
Important crop for fresh fruit, canning and drying .
Honey plant.
Detrimental:
Toxicity:
Seeds are toxic. 20 or more seeds has caused illness and death in man.
Symptoms:
HCN poisoning.
Treatment:
Empty stomach.
Legislation:
None.
Management and Control:
Thresholds:
Eradication strategies:
Herbicide resistance:
Biological Control:
Pests include Black Scale, Birds, Carpophilus beetle, Light Brown Apple Moth, Rutherglen Bug and Two Spotted Mite.
Diseases include Armillariella Root Rot, Bacterial Canker, Black Heart, Brown Rot, Freckle, Gummosis, Prune Rust and Shot Hole.
Related plants:
Almond (Prunus amygdalus, Prunus dulcis or Prunus communis)
American Red Plum (Prunus americana)
Apricot (Prunus armeniaca)
Bird Cherry (Prunus padus)
Bullace (Prunus insititia)
Catalina Cherry (Prunus lyonii)
Cherry (Prunus avium)
Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera)
Chinese Cherry (Prunus japonica)
Chinese Flowering Almond (Prunus glandulosa)
Chokecherry or Virginian Bird Cherry (Prunus virginiana)
Flowering Almond (Prunus triloba)
Fuji Cherry (Prunus incisa)
Goose Plum (Prunus hortulana)
Holy-leaved Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia)
Japanese Apricot (Prunus mume)
Japanese Cherry (Prunus sargentii)
Japanese Flowering Cherry (Prunus serrulata)
Japanese Plum (Prunus salicina)
Manchurian Cherry (Prunus maakii)
Nectarine (Prunus persica var. nectarina)
Peach (Prunus persica var. persica)
Perfumed Cherry or St Lucia Cherry (Prunus mahaleb)
Pin Cherry or Wild Cherry (Prunus pennsylvanica)
Plum (Prunus X domestica or Prunus spinosa)
Portugal Laurel (Prunus lusitanica)
Rosebud Cherry (Prunus subhirtella)
Sour Cherry (Prunus cerasus)
Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium)
Taiwan Cherry (Prunus campanulata)
Wild Cherry (Prunus serotina)
Yoshino Cherry (Prunus yedoensis)
Plants of similar appearance:
References:
Bodkin, F. (1986). Encyclopaedia Botanica. (Angus and Robertson, Australia). P840. Diagram.
Everist, S.L. (1974). Poisonous Plants of Australia. (Angus and Robertson, Sydney). P607.
Lazarides, M. and Hince, B. (1993). CSIRO handbook of economic plants of Australia. (CSIRO, Melbourne). #1027.2.
Reid, R.L. (1990) The Manual of Australian Agriculture. (Butterworths, Sydney). P181.
Acknowledgments:
Collated by HerbiGuide. Phone 08 98444064 or www.herbiguide.com.au for more information.