The almond tree (genus Prunus) is one of the earliest domesticated fruit trees. Based on molecular dating, it diverged apparently from the peach tree around 6 million years ago (= latest Miocene time). The earliest know fossilized almond tree remains are of Pleistocene age (17,000 to 14,000 years ago). Humans in the Near East/Himalaya Mountains have cultivated it (= genetic “engineering”) now for thousands of years.
Almond trees are a type of drupe because the each fruit of an almond trees has a pit. Inside the pit, is a seed = the almond nut, which a person eats. Examples of other drupes are peaches, plums, cherries, walnut, and pecans. The "rule of thumb" is that if a plant produces a pit, then that plant is a drupe.
The almond tree is closely related to the peach tree, and it is likely that almond trees originated by divergence peach trees. The blooms of the almond tree are white and pink.
The almond nut that is so popular today occurs on the tree Prunus amygdalus. It prefers a Mediterranean climate with a cool winter. California “fits that bill” perfectly. In fact, California produces 80% of the world’s almond supply. One fall-back, however, is that almond trees require lots of water. California now holds the world record for production of almonds.
Classification
Kingdom Plantae
Clades 4 of them
Order Rosales
Family Rosaceae
Genus Prunus
Type Species P. amygdalus Batsch, 1801 [Linnaeus, 1753 was the first to name this tree, but in doing so, he created a “taxonomic tangle,” thus Batsch renamed this tree.
Note: (for those who are interested): the dietary evaluation of almond nuts (e.g. bought in a typical grocery store) have the following nutritional data:
Saturated fat [1]
Trans fat [0]
Polyunsaturated fat [4]
Monounsaturated fat [10] = healthy fats that help lower bad cholesterol (LDL)
The three images shown below are all via: PublicDomain Pictures.net
Figure 2 . Almond fruit split open to show a nut in its pit.
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