The taxonomic history of Prunus is long and complicated, in part due to the economic value of its fruit crops and also the ease with which some species hybridize. Here, Prunus is circumscribed in its broad sense based on the argument that when viewed on a worldwide scale, the morphologic discontinuities among the segregate genera diminish and they overlap with one another. Included here are species that have at times been placed in the genera Amygdalus, Armeniaca, Cerasus, Laurocerasus, Padus, and Persica.
At the species level, Prunus has been the object of the usual combining and splitting common among taxonomists with different philosophies and opinions. In particular, over-reliance on the indument of various vegetative and floral parts has led to the naming of numerous species and infraspecific taxa. Similarly, too much has been made of fruit colour and palatability in naming taxa of Prunus. It is very likely that, as molecular and genetic data are analyzed and, more importantly, correlated with morphological data, circumscriptions will be redrawn and the number of Prunus species will be reduced[].

Common Name:

General Information

Prunus bucharica is a deciduous shrub or a small tree with erect or spreading, unarmed branches; it can grow from 1.5 - 6 metres tall, occasionally to 8 metres[].
The fruit is harvested from the wild on a large scale for the production of almond oil[]. It is occasionally cultivated for its seed within its native range and is sometimes used as a rootstock for almonds, plums and peaches[].
The species is in decline in at least part of its range (Uvbekistan). The fruits are harvested on a large scale for the production of almond oil and this is reducing the plants ability to reproduce. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

The plant (especially the seed and young shoots) contains cyanogenic glycosides, especially amygdalin and prunasin. When injested, these compounds break down in the digestive tract to release cyanide. Used in small quantities in both traditional and conventional medicine, this exceedingly poisonous compound has been shown to stimulate respiration, improve digestion, and promote a sense of well-being[]. It is also claimed by some to be of benefit in the treatment of cancer - though this claim has been largely refuted.
In larger concentrations, however, cyanide can cause gasping, weakness, excitement, pupil dilation, spasms, convulsions, coma and respiratory failure leading to death[].
The fruits and flowers of most members of this genus generally have low or very low concentrations of this toxin, though the seeds and young shoots can contain much higher levels.
The levels of toxin can be detected by the level of bitterness:- for example sweet tasting almond seeds are a major food crop and are often eaten in quantity, whilst bitter tasting almond seeds are used as a flavouring (in marzipan for example) but are not usually eaten on their own.
In general, it can be considered safe to eat any fruit or seed from species in this genus that either have a sweet flavour or are slightly bitter. Great caution should be taken, however, if the flavour is moderately to very bitter[].

Botanical References

Range

Asia - Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan

Habitat

Shrubby areas on mountain slopes, growing in stony and fine-earth soils; at elevations from 850 - 2,500 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Prunus bucharica is a very frost-tolerant plant[].
Requires a sunny position[, ]. Thrives in a well-drained moisture-retentive loamy soil, growing well on limestone[, ]. Prefers some lime in the soil but is likely to become chlorotic if too much lime is present[]. Established plants are very drought resistant[].
This is one of the rather restricted endemic species that is related to, but easily distinguished from, the almond (Prunus dulcis). In view of its polymorphism (a growth habit ranging from small bush to more or less large tree; surface of the stones from smooth to more or less furrowed; shape of leaves; taste of kernel from bitter to sweet, etc.) this species deserves a more detailed study as a potential crop or gene donor[].
Prunus bucharica occupies from 300,000 - 500,000 ha of thickets in Pamir-Alai, a fact which demonstrates its economic importance in mountainous arboreal shrubby thickets[].
The discovery of sweet-kerneled forms creates the possibility of selection and improvement by grafting[].

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked[]. Most of the kernels (around 98.5% ) have a bitter flavour, the remainder being sweet[].
The seed is 15 - 33,m long, 9 - 17mm wide, 7 - 14mm thick[].

Medicinal

The seeds are used medicinally[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Because of its exceptional drought resistance, this is a very valuable plant for reforestation as well as for the stabilization of stony mountain slopes[].

Other Uses

The bark of the root contains tannins. Known as 'kermek', it is used to make a yellow dye for fabrics[, ].

The seeds contain around 50% fatty oils by dry weight. According to some sources, these oils can be used in the manufacture of hard soap. They can probably also be used in pharmaceutical preparations, for cosmetics etc[, ].

This species is a suitable rootstock for cultivated forms of the almond (Prunus dulcis), and also for apricots (Prunus armeniaca), plums (Prunus domestica) and peaches (Prunus persica). Thus the very high drought resistance of Prunus bucharica may one day play a major role in the development of non-irrigated almonds growing in the mountains of Central Asia[].

Propagation

Seed -