Prunus avium
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: * A species of flowering tree: Prunus avium is the scientific name for a large tree native to Europe and western Asia. It is the wild ancestor of the cultivated sweet cherry. * The source of a fruit: The tree produces small, dark, and typically bitter fruit in its wild form, which becomes the edible sweet cherry through selective cultivation.
Usage
- is primarily used in scientific, botanical, and horticultural contexts to refer specifically to the wild cherry species.
- In common language, the fruits from cultivated trees are called "sweet cherries."
Examples
- Scientific Context:
- The forest contained several mature specimens of Prunus avium.
- Most commercial cherry orchards grow cultivated varieties derived from Prunus avium.
- Descriptive Context:
- Unlike its cultivated descendants, the fruit of wild Prunus avium is often too tart for eating raw.
Advanced Usage
- Taxonomic Classification: The name follows binomial nomenclature, where is the genus (including plums, peaches, almonds) and is the specific epithet, from Latin (bird), referring to birds eating the fruit.
- Common Names: It is commonly known as "wild cherry," "sweet cherry" (for cultivated forms), or "gean."
Variants and Related Words
- Sweet cherry: The common name for the edible fruit and the cultivated tree derived from .
- Wild cherry: A direct common name translation for in its natural, uncultivated state.
- Prunus cerasus: The scientific name for the sour cherry or tart cherry, a different but related species.
Synonyms
- Wild cherry
- Gean (a traditional name used in parts of Europe)
- Sweet cherry tree (when referring to cultivated varieties)
Related Terms and Phrases
- Stone fruit: is a member of the stone fruit family, as its fruit contains a single hard pit or "stone."
- Cultivar: A cultivated variety of , such as 'Bing' or 'Rainier' cherries.
- Rootstock: Wild is often used as a rootstock for grafting cultivated cherry varieties.
Noun
- large Eurasian tree producing small dark bitter fruit in the wild but edible sweet fruit under cultivation