Pomegranate

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Pomegranate

Fruit of pomegranate split open showing the juicy

seeds on the inside.

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms

(unranked): Eudicots

(unranked): Rosids

Order: Myrtales

Family: Lythraceae

Genus: Punica

Species: P. granatum

Binomial name

Punica granatum

L.

Synonyms

Punica florida Salisb.

Punica grandiflora hort. ex Steud.

 Punica nana L.

Punica spinosa Lam.[1]

The pomegranate, botanical name Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree] that grows between 5 and 8 m (16 and 26 ft) tall.
Although previously placed in its own family Punicaceae, recent phylogenetic studies have shown that Punica belongs in the family Lythraceae, and it is
classified in that family by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group.

Contents
[hide]

1Name
2Description
3Where it grows
4Gallery
5References
6Other websites

Name[change | change source]

The name pomegranate comes from medieval Latin pmum "apple" and grntum "seeded".[2]
The French term for pomegranate, grenade, has given its name to the military grenade.[3]
Common names in some other languages are:[4]

French: grenadier
German: Granatapfel
Spanish: granada
Italian: melograno
Portuguese: rom
Swedish: granatpple
Punica granatum, the scientific name of the pomegranate, was given by Carolus Linnaeus in 1753 in Species Plantarum (Vol. 1, page
472).[5] Punica comes from the Latin name for the pomegranate, malum punicum, meaning "apple from Carthage",[6] and granatum from medieval Latin
meaning "seeded", "with seeds".

Description[change | change source]

The pomegranate is a shrub or small tree that could grow up to 6 to 10 m (20 to 33 ft) high with many branches with spines. Leaves are opposite 37 cm
(1.22.8 in) long and 2 cm (0.79 in) cm broad. The flowers are yellow to bright red and 3 cm (1.2 in) in diameter, with three to seven petals.[6]
Fruits are berries with a strong skin, like leather, intermediate in size between a lemon and a grapefruit, 512 cm (2.04.7 in) in diameter.[6]. Fruits have
many seeds with fleshy and edible coats (called sacrotesta). The number of seeds in a pomegranate can vary from 200 to about 1400. [7]
P. granatum var. nana is a dwarf variety of P. granatum popularly planted as an ornamental plant in gardens and larger containers, and used as
a bonsai specimen tree.

Where it grows[change | change source]

The pomegranate originated in the region of modern-day Iran, and has been cultivated since ancient times throughout the Mediterraneanregion and
northern India.[6] It was brought into America in the late 16th century, including California, by Spanish settlers.[6]
Today, it is widely cultivated throughout the Middle East and Caucasus region, north and tropical Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia, the drier
parts of southeast Asia, and parts of the Mediterranean Basin.[6] It is also cultivated in parts of Arizona and California.[8]

Gallery[change | change source]