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| − | {{Otheruses}} | + | {{Plantbox |
| − | {{Taxobox
| + | | color = IndianRed |
| − | | color = lightgreen | + | | common_names = Apricot |
| | + | | growth_habit = [[Tree]] |
| | + | | high = |
| | + | | wide = |
| | + | | lifespan = [[Perennial]] |
| | + | | exposure = Sun |
| | + | | water = regular |
| | + | | features = Fruit, blossoms |
| | + | | hardiness = Hardy to -30C |
| | + | | usda_zones = 5-8 |
| | + | | sunset_zones = |
| | | name = Apricot | | | name = Apricot |
| | | image = Apricots.jpg | | | image = Apricots.jpg |
| | | image_width = 240px | | | image_width = 240px |
| − | | image_caption = Apricot fruits | + | | image_caption = Apricot fruit |
| − | | regnum = [[Plant]]ae
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| − | | divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
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| − | | classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
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| − | | ordo = [[Rosales]]
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| − | | familia = [[Rosaceae]]
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| − | | genus = ''[[Prunus]]''
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| − | | subgenus = ''[[Plum|Prunus]]''
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| − | | sectio = ''Armeniaca''
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| − | | species = '''''P. armeniaca'''''
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| − | | binomial = ''Prunus armeniaca''
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| − | | binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
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| | }} | | }} |
| − | {{nutritionalvalue | name=Apricots, raw | kJ=201 | protein=1.4 g | fat=0.4 g | carbs=11 g | sugars=9 g | fiber = 2 g | iron_mg=0.4 | vitC_mg=10 | vitA_ug=96 | betacarotene_ug=1094 | source_usda=1 | right=1 }}
| + | The '''Apricot''' (''Prunus armeniaca'', "Armenian plum" in Latin, [[synonymy|syn.]] ''Armeniaca vulgaris'' Lam."Tsiran" ծիրան in Armenian) is a species of ''[[Prunus]]'', classified with the [[plum]] in the [[subgenus]] ''Prunus''. |
| − | {{nutritionalvalue | name=Apricots, dried | kJ=1009 | protein=3.4 g | fat=0.5 g | carbs=63 g | fiber=7 g | sugars=53 g | iron_mg=2.7 | vitC_mg=1 | vitA_ug=180 | betacarotene_ug=2163 |source_usda=1 | right=1 }}
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| − | The '''apricot''' (''Prunus armeniaca'' or ''Armenian plum'' in Latin, [[synonymy|syn.]] ''Armeniaca vulgaris'', [[Armenian language|Armenian]]: Ծիրան, [[Chinese language|Chinese]]: 杏子, [[Czech language|Czech]]: Meruňka) is a [[fruit]]-bearing [[tree]], native to [[Armenia]] which later spread to [[Europe]] and later many other destinations. <ref>Arboretum Et Fruticetum Britannicum: Or, The Trees and Shrubs of Britain, Native and Foreign - Page 682 by John Claudius Loudon</ref> It is classified with the [[plum]] in the [[subgenus]] ''Prunus'' of the [[Prunus]] genus.
| + | [[Image:Turkey.Pasa Baglari005.jpg|thumb|left|Apricot tree]] |
| − | [[Image:Turkey.Pasa Baglari005.jpg|thumb|left|225px|Apricot tree in Central [[Cappadocia]], Turkey]] | + | [[Image:Apricot whole444.jpg|thumb|left|Fresh ripe fruit]] |
| − | It is a small- to medium-sized tree with a dense, spreading canopy 8–12 m tall; its [[leaf|leaves]] are shaped somewhat like a [[heart (symbol)|heart]], with pointed tips, and about 8 cm long and 3–4 cm wide. Its [[flower]]s are [[white]] to [[pink]]ish in color. The fruit appears similar to a [[peach]] or [[nectarine]], with a color ranging from [[yellow]] to [[orange (colour)|orange]] and sometimes a [[red]] cast; its surface is smooth and nearly hairless. Apricots are stone fruit ([[drupe]]s), so called because the lone [[seed]] is often called a "stone". | + | It is a small tree, 8–12 m tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm diameter and a dense, spreading canopy. The [[leaf|leaves]] are [[leaf shape|ovate]], 5–9 cm long and 4–8 cm wide, with a rounded base, a pointed tip and a finely serrated margin. The [[flower]]s are 2–4.5 cm diameter, with five white to pinkish petals; they are produced singly or in pairs in early spring before the leaves. The [[fruit]] is a [[drupe]] similar to a small [[peach]], 1.5–2.5 cm diameter (larger in some modern [[cultivar]]s), from yellow to orange, often tinged red on the side most exposed to the sun; its surface is usually pubescent. The single [[seed]] is enclosed in a hard stony shell, often called a "stone", with a grainy, smooth texture except for three ridges running down one side.<ref name=foc/><ref name=rushforth>Rushforth, K. (1999). ''Trees of Britain and Europe''. Collins ISBN 0-00-220013-9.</ref> |
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| − | The name derives from "''apricock''" and "''abrecox''", through the [[French language|French]] ''abricot'', from the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] ''albaricoque'', which was an adaptation of the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] ''al-burquk'', itself a rendering of the late [[Greek language|Greek]] πρεκοκκια or πραικοκιον, adapted from the [[Latin]] ''praecox'' or ''praecoquus'', early, possibly referring to the fruit maturing much earlier in the summer than plums. However, in [[Argentina]] and [[Chile]] the word for "apricot" is "''damasco''" which probably indicates that to the Spanish settlers of Argentina the fruit was associated with [[Damascus]] in Syria.
| + | ==Species== |
| | + | *''[[Freesia alba]]'' |
| | + | *''[[Freesia laxa]]'' (syn. ''Anomatheca laxa'', ''Lapeirousia laxa'') |
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| | ==Cultivation== | | ==Cultivation== |
| − | [[Image:apricotfresh.JPG|thumb|left|Fresh apricots on display for sale in a produce shop in [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]].]] | + | [[Image:apricotfresh.JPG|thumb|left|Fresh apricots on display.]] |
| − | The apricot is thought to have originated in northeastern [[China]] near the [[Russia]]n border. In [[Armenia]] it was known from ancient times, and is native to Armenia.<ref>CultureGrams 2002 - Page 11 by CultureGrams</ref><ref>[http://www.actahort.org/books/121/121_36.htm VII Symposium on Apricot Culture and Decline]</ref> The Roman General [[Lucullus]] (106-57 B.C.E.) even exported some trees,- cherry, white heart cherry and apricot from Armenia to Europe. While [[British colonization of the Americas|English settlers]] brought the apricot to the [[Thirteen Colonies|English colonies]] in the New World, most of modern American production of apricots comes from the seedlings carried to the west coast by [[New Spain|Spanish]] missionaries. Almost all [[United States|U.S.]] production is in [[California]], with some in [[Washington]] and [[Utah]].<ref>[http://www.agmrc.org/agmrc/commodity/fruits/apricots/ Agricultural Marketing Resource Center</ref>. Turkey is one of the leading dried-apricot producers.<ref>[http://www.actahort.org/members/showpdf?booknrarnr=717_56 The tendencies of Apricot producers]</ref> In Armenia apricot is grown in [[Ararat plain|Ararat Valley]].
| + | [[Image:Dried apricot 01 Pengo.jpg|thumb|right|Dried organic apricot. The colour is dark because it has not been treated with [[sulfur dioxide]] (E220).]] |
| | + | Although often thought of as a "subtropical" fruit, this is actually false - the Apricot is native to a [[continental climate]] region with cold winters, although can grow in Mediterranean climates very well. The tree is slightly more cold-hardy than the [[peach]], tolerating winter temperatures as cold as −30 °C or lower if healthy. The limiting factor in apricot culture is spring [[frost]]s: They tend to flower very early, around the time of the [[vernal equinox]] even in northern locations like the [[Great Lakes]] region, meaning spring frost often kills the flowers. Furthermore, the trees are sensitive to temperature changes during the winter season. In China, winters can be very cold, but temperatures tend to be more stable than in Europe and especially North America, where large temperature swings can occur in winter. The trees do need some winter cold (even if minimal) to bear and grow properly and do well in [[Mediterranean climate]] locations since spring frosts are less severe but there is some cool winter weather to allow a proper [[dormancy]]. The dry climate of these areas is best for good fruit production. [[Hybrid (biology)|Hybrid]]isation with the closely related ''[[Prunus sibirica]]'' (Siberian Apricot; hardy to −50°C but with less palatable fruit) offers options for breeding more cold-tolerant plants.<ref>[http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Prunus+sibirica Prunus sibirica - L.]</ref> |
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| − | Apricots have been cultivated in [[Persia]] since antiquity & dried ones were an important commodity on Persian trade routes. Apricots remain an important fruit in modern-day [[Iran]] where they are known under the common name of ''Zard-ālū'' (Persian زردالو). Iran is the second biggest producer of Apricots.
| + | Apricot cultivars are most often [[grafting|grafted]] on plum or peach rootstocks. A cutting of an existing apricot plant provides the fruit characteristics such as flavour, size, etc., but the rootstock provides the growth characteristics of the plant. Apricots and plums can hybridize with each other and produce fruit that are variously called pluots, plumcots, or apriums. |
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| − | Although often thought of as a "subtropical" fruit, the Apricot is in fact native to a region with cold winters. The tree is slightly more cold-hardy than the [[peach]], tolerating winter temperatures as cold as −30 °C or lower if healthy. The limiting factor in apricot culture is spring [[frost]]s: They tend to flower very early, around the time of the [[vernal equinox]] even in northern locations like the [[Great Lakes]] region, meaning spring frost often kills the flowers. The trees do need some winter cold (even if minimal) to bear and grow properly and do well in [[Mediterranean climate]] locations since spring frosts are less severe here but there is some cool winter weather to allow a proper [[dormancy]]. The dry climate of these areas is best for good fruit production. [[Hybrid]]isation with the closely related ''[[Prunus sibirica]]'' (Siberian Apricot; hardy to −50°C but with less palatable fruit) offers options for breeding more cold-tolerant plants.<ref>[http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Prunus+sibirica Prunus sibirica - L.]</ref>
| + | Apricots have a chilling requirement of 300 to 900 chilling units. They are hardy in [[Hardiness zone#North American hardiness zones|USDA zones]] 5 through 8. Some of the more popular cultivars of apricots include ''Blenheim'', ''Wenatchee Moorpark'', ''Tilton'', and ''Perfection''. |
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| − | Apricot [[cultivar]]s are most often [[grafting|grafted]] on plum or peach rootstocks. A cutting of an existing apricot plant provides the fruit characteristics such as flavor, size, etc., but the rootstock provides the growth characteristics of the plant.
| + | There is an old adage that an apricot tree will not grow far from the mother tree. The implication is that apricots are particular about the soil conditions in which they are grown. They prefer a well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. If fertilizer is needed, as indicated by yellow-green leaves, then 1/4 pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer should be applied in the second year. Granular fertilizer should be scattered beneath the branches of the tree. An additional 1/4 pound should be applied for every year of age of the tree in early spring, before growth starts. Apricots are self-compatible and do not require pollinizer trees, with the exception of the 'Moongold' and 'Sungold' cultivars, which can pollinate each other. |
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| − | [[Image:Dried apricot 01 Pengo.jpg|thumb|right|Dried organic apricot, produced in Turkey. The colour is dark because it has not been treated with [[sulfur dioxide]] (E220).]]
| + | ==Propagation== |
| − | Many apricots are also cultivated in [[Australia]], particularly [[South Australia]] where they are commonly grown in the region known as the [[Riverland]] and in a small town called Mypolonga in the [[Murray River|Lower Murray]] region of the state. In states other than South Australia apricots are still grown, particularly in [[Tasmania]] and western [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] and southwest [[New South Wales]], but they are less common than in South Australia.
| + | Grafting for true offspring. Seed. |
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| − | Apricots are also cultivated in [[Egypt]] and are among the common fruits well known there. The season in which apricot is present in the market in Egypt is very short. There is even an Egyptian proverb that says "Fel meshmesh" (English "in the apricot") which is used to refer to something that will not happen because the apricot disappears from the market in Egypt so shortly after it has appeared. Egyptians usually dry apricot and sweeten it then use it to make a drink called "amar el deen". | + | ==Pests and diseases== |
| | + | Apricots are susceptible to numerous bacterial diseases including bacterial canker and blast, bacterial spot and crown gall. They are susceptible to an even longer list of fungal diseases including brown rot, Alternaria spot and fruit rot, and powdery mildew. Other problems for apricots are nematodes and viral diseases, including graft-transmissible problems. |
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| − | == Kernels == | + | ==Uses== |
| − | {{Main|Apricot kernel}}
| + | Fruit, fresh or dried. |
| − | Seeds or kernels of the apricot grown in [[central Asia]] and around the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] are so sweet that they may be substituted for [[almond]]s. The Italian liqueur [[Amaretto]] and amaretti [[biscotti]] are flavoured with extract of apricot kernels rather than almonds. [[Vegetable oil|Oil]] pressed from these cultivars has been used as [[cooking oil]].
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| − | ==Production trends==
| + | Seeds or kernels of the apricot grown in [[central Asia]] and around the [[Mediterranean region|Mediterranean]] are so sweet that they may be substituted for [[almond]]s. The Italian liqueur [[Amaretto]] and amaretti [[biscotti]] are flavoured with extract of apricot kernels rather than almonds. [[Vegetable oil|Oil]] pressed from these cultivars has been used as [[cooking oil]]. |
| − | [[Image:2005apricot.PNG|thumb|right|Apricot output in 2005]] | |
| − | {| class="wikitable" align=left style="clear:left"
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| − | ! colspan=2|Top Ten Apricot Producers — 2005<br>(1000 tonnes)
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{TUR}} || align="right" | 390
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{IRN}} || align="right" | 285
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{ITA}} || align="right" | 232
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{PAK}} || align="right" | 220
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{FRA}} || align="right" | 181
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{ALG}} || align="right" | 145
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{ESP}}|| align="right" | 136
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{JPN}} || align="right" | 123
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| − | |-
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| − | | Morocco || align="right" | 103
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| − | |-
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| − | | {{SYR}} || align="right" | 101
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| − | |-
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| − | |'''World Total''' || align="right" | '''1916'''
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| − | |-
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| − | |colspan=2|''Source: <br>[[UN Food & Agriculture Organisation]] (FAO)''[http://faostat.fao.org/site/340/default.aspx]
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| − | |}
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| − | ==Medicinal and non-food uses==
| + | Due to their high fiber to volume ratio, dried apricots are sometimes used to relieve constipation or induce diarrhea. Effects can be felt after eating as few as three. |
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| − | [[Cyanogenic]] [[glycoside]]s (found in most [[stone fruit]] [[seed]]s, [[bark]], and [[leaf|leaves]]) are found in high concentration in apricot seeds. [[Laetrile]], a purported [[alternative medicine|alternative]] treatment for cancer, is extracted from apricot seeds. As early as the year 502, apricot seeds were used to treat [[tumor]]s, and in the [[17th century]] apricot oil was used in [[England]] against tumors and [[ulcer]]s. However, in 1980 the [[National Cancer Institute]] in the [[USA]] claimed laetrile to be an ineffective cancer treatment.<ref>http://www.tricountyfarm.org/oregon_apricots.asp</ref>
| + | Research shows that of any food, apricots possess the highest levels and widest variety of carotenoids {{Fact|date=August 2008}}. Carotenoids are antioxidants that help prevent heart disease, reduce "bad cholesterol" levels, and protect against cancer {{Fact|date=August 2008}}. |
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| − | In [[Europe]], apricots were long considered an [[aphrodisiac]], and were used in this context in [[William Shakespeare]]'s ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'', and as an inducer of childbirth labor, as depicted in [[John Webster]]'s ''[[The Duchess of Malfi]]''.
| + | ==Taxonomy== |
| − | | + | {{Taxbox |
| − | The IUD ([[intrauterine device]]) form of birth control, based on the premise that a foreign object within the uterus will prevent the implantation of an embryo, is linked to an old practice of camel herders and drivers who would place an apricot pit within the uterus of their female camels to prevent pregenancy and keep them working at carrying cargo rather than the work of mothering.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
| + | | color = IndianRed |
| − | | + | | regnum = [[Plant]]ae |
| − | Dried apricots can also be used as a potent laxative.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
| + | | divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]] |
| − | {{Unreferenced|date=April 2007}}
| + | | classis = [[Magnoliopsida]] |
| − | | + | | ordo = [[Rosales]] |
| − | ==Trivia==
| + | | familia = [[Rosaceae]] |
| − | The [[China|Chinese]] associate the apricot with education and medicine. [[Chuang Tzu]], a Chinese philosopher in [[4th century BCE]], had told a story that [[Confucius]] taught his students in a [[Forum (education)|forum]] among the wood of apricot.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
| + | | genus = ''[[Prunus]]'' |
| − | | + | | subgenus = ''[[Prunus]]'' |
| − | In the [[2nd century]], Tung Fung, a medical doctor, lived in [[Lushan]]. He asked his cured patients to plant apricots in his backyard instead of paying consultation and medical fees. Those cured of serious illness planted five, and the rest planted one. After some years, a hundred thousand apricot trees were planted and the wood become the symbol for doctors and medicine.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
| + | | sectio = ''Armeniaca'' |
| − | | + | | species = '''''P. armeniaca''''' |
| − | In ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'', the Cowardly Lion sings, "What puts the ape in the apricot? Courage!"
| + | | binomial = ''Prunus armeniaca'' |
| − | | + | | binomial_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]] |
| − | Apricots were used by the [[Indigenous Australians|Australian Aborigines]] as an aphrodisiac. A special tea was prepared from the apricot stone, while the fruit was crushed and smeared over the erogenous regions.
| + | }} |
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| − | Among tank-driving soldiers, apricots are taboo, by superstition. Tankers will not eat apricots, allow apricots onto their vehicles, and often will not even say the word "apricot". This superstition stems from Sherman tank breakdowns purportedly happening in the presence of cans of apricots.<ref>[http://www.mcnews.info/mcnewsinfo/marines/divisions/pme.shtml Marines Magazine - Marine Corps superstitions]</ref>
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| − | Dreaming of apricots, in English folklore, is said to be good luck.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
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| − | The Turkish idiom "bundan iyisi Şam'da kayısı" (literally, the only thing better than this is apricot in Damascus) means "it doesn't get any better than this" and used when something is the very best it can be; like a delicious apricot from Damascus.
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| − | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints includes in their Children's Songbook the song "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree" describing an apricot tree in bloom.
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| − | ==Notes== | + | ==References== |
| − | <div class="references-small"><references/></div>
| + | *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881926248 |
| | + | *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 |
| | + | *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608 |
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| | ==See also== | | ==See also== |
| − | {{en:wiktionary|apricot}}
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| − | {{commons|Prunus armeniaca}}
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| | *[[List of apricot diseases]] | | *[[List of apricot diseases]] |
| | *[[Apricot kernel]] | | *[[Apricot kernel]] |
| | *[[Pluot]] | | *[[Pluot]] |
| − | *[[Ume]]
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| − | *[[Amygdalin]]
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| | ==External links== | | ==External links== |
| − | *[http://www.tcmedicine.org/en/herb/kuxingren.asp Bitter Apricot Seed] — information on medicinal uses of apricot seeds
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| − | *[http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/1/3/6/11369/11369.txt The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction] at [[Project Gutenberg]]
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| − | *[http://www.malatyam.org/apricot.htm About Malatya's Apricot] — Natural panacea of worldwıde renown : The Malatya Aprıcot / The Capıtal Of Aprıcot Malatya
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| − | [[Category:Prunus]]
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| − | [[Category:Fruit]]
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| − | [[Category:Arabic words and phrases]]
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| − | [[Category:Flora of Armenia]]
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| − | [[Category:Flora of Turkey]]
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