Prunus

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Prunus

Stone Fruits
Genus:Prunus
Family:Rosaceae
Type:Trees, Shrubs
Disease issues:Several, with some quite serious

Prunus is a genus of trees and shrubs traditionally placed within the rose family, (Family Rosaceae), but now sometimes placed in its own family, the Prunaceae (or Amygdalaceae), or in a subfamily of Rosaceae, the Prunoideae (or Amygdaloideae). There are several hundred species of Prunus, spread throughout the northern temperate regions of the globe.

Description

The flowers are usually white to pink, with five petals and five sepals. They are borne singly, or in umbels of two to six or more on racemes. The fruit of all Prunus species is a drupe with a relatively large stone. Leaves are simple and usually lanceolate, unlobed and toothed along the margin.

Subgenera

Some treatments break the genus up into several different genera, but this segregation is not widely recognised other than at the subgeneric rank.

Uses

The genus Prunus includes the almond, apricot, cherry, peach, and plum, all of which have cultivars developed for commercial fruit production. The edible part of the almond is the seed; the almond fruit is a drupe and not a "nut". There are also a number of species, hybrids, and cultivars grown strictly as ornamentals, usually for their profusion of flowers, occasionally for leaves and bark. These ornamentals include the group that may be collectively called flowering cherries.

Because of their considerable value as both food and ornamental plants, many Prunus species have been introduced to parts of the world to which they are not native. Many of the Old World species are grown for ornament or fruit, and have been planted throughout the world; and some have become naturalised beyond their native range.

Pests and diseases

Bacterial Leaf Spots (Shot-hole)

Fireblight

Powdery Mildew

Blights

Leaf Spots

Black Knot

Root Rot

Wilt

Witches’ Broom

Leaf Curl

Plum Pockets:

Little Leaf Virus

Root Rot

Leaf Drop

Aphids

Scales

Hoppers

Whiteflies

Bugs

Walkingsticks

Earwigs

Thrips

Maggots

Beetles

Caterpillars

Sawflies

Ants

Mites

Slugs and Snails

References

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