AL′MOND

(ah′-mŭnd). Syn. Amyg′dal a (also -US , -UM *), L.; Amande , Fr.; Mandel , Ger., Dut., Dan., Swed. The ‘almond-tree’ ( amyg′dal us commu′nis —Linn.; Ph. L., E., and D.; Amandier —Fr.), a tree of the nat. ord. Rosaceæ, indigenous to Persia, Syria, and the north of Africa; but also extensively cultivated in southern Europe. The almond-tree is about the size of the peach-tree, which it much resembles in appearance. It is incapable of ripening its fruit in this country, and is, therefore, only grown here for the sake of its beautiful vernal flowers. There are several varieties, of which the most important are the sweet and the bitter, so named from the flavour of the seed or kernel. These, for the most part, resemble each other in appearance. De Candolle (‘Prodromus,’ ii, 530) gives five varieties of this species:—A. AMA′′RA ( bitter-almond ); A. DUL′CIS ( sweet-a. ); A. FRAGILIS ( tender-shelled a. ); A. MACRO CAR′PA ( large-fruited a. , pista′chio a. , sultana a. ); A. PERSICO′ÏDES ( peach a. ).