Prunus apricots, of cherries, and of plums, all of which have cultivars developed for commercial fruit and nut production. The almond is not a true nut, the edible part is the seed. Other species are occasionally cultivated or used for their seed and fruit. A number of species, hybrids, and cultivars are grown as ornamental plants, usually for their profusion of flowers, sometimes for ornamental foliage and shape, and occasionally for their bark. The Tree of 40 Fruit has forty varieties grafted on to one rootstock. Species such as blackthorn ("Prunus spinosa"), are grown for hedging, game cover, and other utilitarian
Prunus fruticosa the pun are "fructus" or "frux", from "fruor", "enjoy" - a fruit is a result enjoyed - and "frutex", "shrub", adjective "fruticosus", "bushy", from a totally different root. "Prunus" is a grammatical feminine, so "Prunus fruticosa" agrees in gender. However, Pallas says "Haec mihi tantum fructibus suis innotuit, qui distinctam itidem speciem indicare videntur", "It came to my attention at last because of its fruit, which repeatedly seemed to indicate a distinct species." The fruit seemed "fere Pruni forma", "nearly in the form of "Prunus"", especially because "praedita oblongo nucleo", "furnished with an oblong seed." So, Pallas moved it from