genus Amygdalus
- noun
- /ˈdʒɛnəs əˈmɪɡdələs/
- Archaic
:
género Amygdalus
- Peach trees were once classified under genus Amygdalus in older botanical texts.
Examples
-
The genus Amygdalus included both almonds and peaches according to former plant classifications.
-
Many botanists used genus Amygdalus before its species were reassigned to Prunus.
-
The genus Amygdalus includes both peaches and almonds.
-
Many botanists now classify the genus Amygdalus under Prunus.
-
Historically, many textbooks referred to peach trees as being part of the genus Amygdalus before their reclassification.
-
In botanical studies, the plants we now recognize as almonds originally belonged to the genus Amygdalus.
-
Several researchers noted that genus Amygdalus was used in prior classifications for both peaches and almonds.
Synonyms
A former group name for trees like the peach and almond now in Prunus
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a literal taxonomic noun phrase combining the category 'genus' with the proper name 'Amygdalus'; if a learner knows the words 'genus' and 'Amygdalus' they can infer it refers to the botanical genus named Amygdalus (peach/almond trees). The rank+name composition is a standard, cross-linguistic scientific naming pattern, so the meaning is directly derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Genus Amygdalus comes from an old Greek word for 'almond' and was used by botanists who grouped almond and similar trees together. That's why it once named the group of almond and peach trees, even though those species are now put in the genus 'Prunus'.
