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Glite Dictionary
Prunus capuli

Prunus capuli

9.9
A Mexican black cherry tree from Central and South America with sweet edible fruit
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Prunus capuli
  • The fruits of the Prunus capuli are enjoyed in traditional Latin American desserts.

Examples

  • Farmers in Mexico often cultivate Prunus capuli for its sweet, dark berries.

  • The Prunus capuli tree produces sweet cherries.

  • The wood from Prunus capuli trees is also valued for making furniture.

  • Have you ever tasted Prunus capuli fruit?

  • Farmers in Mexico often cultivate Prunus capuli for its sweet, dark berries.

  • The fruits of the Prunus capuli are enjoyed in traditional Latin American desserts.

  • The Prunus capuli tree is known for its delicious cherries that are commonly used in jams.

Synonyms

capulin
vsPrunus capuli
  • US
9.9

A small dark fruit like a cherry from Mexico and Central America, or the tree that grows it

is native to Central and South America rather than only Central America
capulin tree
vsPrunus capuli
  • US
9.9

A Mexican tree that grows small dark cherries you can eat

is named as a different species despite similar fruit-bearing description
Mexican black cherry
vsPrunus capuli
  • US
6.8

A tree from Mexico that makes dark purple, almost black cherries

is broader in native range including Central and South America

Surface Forms

Prunus capuli singular
Prunus capulis plural

Morphology

Prunus + capuli

The phrase is a Latin binomial (genus + species): 'Prunus' denotes a genus of fruit-bearing trees, and 'capuli' functions as a species epithet/proper name even though it is not a standard English dictionary word. A learner who knows that 'Prunus' refers to a group of fruit trees and recognises 'capuli' as a specific name can transparently infer this is a particular kind of Prunus (i.e., a type of cherry tree); taxonomic naming is a cross-linguistic, compositional pattern.

Etymology

Prunus capuli is a scientific name that mixes Latin and a local word: Prunus means 'plum' or 'cherry' in Latin, and capuli may come from the Spanish and Nahuatl word 'capulín' for a small dark cherry. So the name shows that this tree is a cherry-like plant with edible dark fruit.