Prunus and Pliny uses "prūnus silvestris" to mean the blackthorn. The word is not native Latin, but is a loan from Greek προῦνον ("prounon"), which is a variant of προῦμνον ("proumnon"), origin unknown. The tree is προύμνη ("proumnē"). Most dictionaries follow Hoffman, "Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Griechischen", in making some form of the word a loan from a pre-Greek language of Asia Minor, related to Phrygian. The first use of "Prunus" as a genus name was by Carl Linnaeus in "Hortus Cliffortianus" of 1737, which went on to become "Species Plantarum". In that work, Linnaeus attributes the word to "Varr.", who it
Prunus argentea lengthens to 2 to 7mm when the fruit is fully developed. It is found growing in a variety of habitats; open oak woodlands, rocky slopes, dry silted areas, and steep banks of streams, at 500 to 2000m above sea level. A genetic study showed that its closest relative is probably "Prunus haussknechtii". In warmer areas of Europe it is occasionally cultivated as an ornamental garden plant for its fragrant rose-pink flowers and attractive foliage, but it must be planted in a protected spot for best results. Prunus argentea Prunus argentea, sometimes called the silver almond, is a species of wild