About the book

Prunus genus includes more than 400 species that are widely spread in the different parts of the world where Prunus trees and shrubs are grown for their fruits or ornamental flowers. In this genus, almonds, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches and plums are the important edible fruit species. Almond (Prunus dulcis; synonym of Prunus amygdalus or Amygdalus communis) has originated from Iran and southeast Asia. The wild forms of domesticated almonds are also localized in the Mediterranean region. Central Asia, Western China and Iran-Caucasus are the mainland centers of Apricot (Prunus armeniaca). It is economically cultivated in many countries, especially in the Mediterranean region. The germplasm centers of cherries (Prunus avium) are the southern Caucasus, the Caspian Sea and the north-eastern Anatolia. These gene centers spread to the east and west covering a wide area of the world. The mainland of peaches (Prunus persica) and nectarines (P. persica var. nucipersica Schneid.) is China, however with their big adaptation capability, they are grown in different parts of the world in various ecologies for fresh fruit juice consumption. Plum (Prunus domestica L.) is one of the stone fruit species that has spread and adapted to different climatic regions of the world with its rich species and cultivars.

This book of Prunus will aim to include all kinds of scientific studies on these valuable and mostly grown fruit crops and also on other Prunus species.